Collision Course
by sssms
Summary: A day in the park may be lifechanging for someone in the 55.
1. Chapters 1 to 2

Disclaimers: I don't own anything, although I wish I did.

This is a repost of a story that I started one year ago today. It's my first fanfic and appears to be never ending. Anyway, I know that some readers got behind on another site and skipped some chapters because they were too hard to find scattered around on the site. There have also been a few trying to reread and having trouble finding the various chapters. I thought I'd post it again here, so the story would be available all in one place for those readers and also available for any new readers that might want to come on board. I'm going to combine some of the earlier shorter chapters and do some minor editing. For any new readers, this is set in Season 5, shortly after Faith returns to work. Hope you enjoy.

COLLISION COURSE – Chapters 1-2

Ty braced himself as Sully turned sharply trying not to loose the white '83 Chevy Impala that they had been chasing for ten city blocks from the scene of New York City's latest convenience store robbery. They had been nearby and approached the scene just as this guy came running from the store with a wild eyed look, firing at random at anyone who threatened to get in his way. And so the chase was on….

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Sasha held her breath as Bosco sped through yet another red light.

"Slow down, Bos ! You're gonna get us killed !"

Bosco seemed oblivious to Sasha's warnings. " We should have seen him by now " he groaned.

The radio came to life. " 55- Charlie to Central. Suspect is headed east toward Huntington Park."

"Yes ! " Bosco shouted as he turned sharply and headed west towards the park's entrance.

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Faith was working the desk and listening to the radio traffic. This guy must be a real nutcase. She stopped suddenly as she heard Sully's latest transmission. "Did he say Huntington Park?"

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Fred squinted in the bright sunlight trying to follow Charlie as he ran down the soccer field. Charlie's team was in the playoffs and they were having a great game. He only wished that Faith could have been here. But she had just returned to work a few weeks ago and didn't think she should ask for a Saturday afternoon off this soon. Fred wasn't very happy about her returning to work at all, but at least she wasn't working with Bosco. ' It's a pity' he thought. 'It's such a beautiful day.' Little did he know the chaos that was about to ensue.

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Sully hated to admit it, but he loved a good chase. He was just a few yards behind that old raggedy Impala. He'd had one almost like this one, back in the day. It was probably his favorite car – an eight cylinder engine and built like a tank. When he drove it around all the other cars cleared the way. Nobody wanted to go up against the tank. With that thought, Sully cringed. This maniac was headed towards a city park entrance. A park that was sure to be full of people enjoying a sunny Saturday afternoon.

He sped up trying to come up along the left rear of the car hoping to force it into a spin and stop it in an area with few other people around. But the Impala just seemed to pull farther ahead. "Oh Crap" Sully mumbled as he saw the car enter through the main gate of the park. He notified Central of their location and followed the guy down the main street. There were tennis courts surrounded by a fence to the right, and there was a large open grove with a walking track on the left. It must have been newly built because there were only a few small trees planted here and there. There were people scattered about. Some stood frozen watching the scene as the police cruiser chased the fleeing suspect and others seemed to scatter like sheep, realizing how dangerous this situation could be. Sully slowed purposely hoping the suspect would slow down as well and was grateful when he did.

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Bosco and Monroe were traveling west on the main street through Huntington Park when they saw the white Impala in the distance headed toward them. Unfortunately the robber saw them too. Realizing that his path would be blocked he turned left, jumped the curb, and headed across the grove barely missing too horrified walkers as he passed. Bosco followed suit, much to Sasha's dismay. He was driving parallel to the Impala but about 40 yards away. He saw Sully following some distance behind the suspect. Noting that his path was clear he gunned the cruiser. He pulled ahead of the suspect's vehicle by about two car lengths and then began to drift closer hoping to head the car off or help box it in.

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Fred was captivated by the game going on in front of him, until he heard the sounds of police sirens approaching in the distance. Glancing across the soccer field to the grove directly across from them, he was startled to see a large white car barreling in their direction. He noted the police car behind it and another off to the side of it and slightly ahead. Then he realized that that car had no intentions of stopping. He screamed Charlie's name and took off at a run to try to get to him. Other parents had apparently come to the same realization and chaos erupted. Screaming parents ran in every direction trying to rescue their oblivious children.

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"BOSCO !!!" Bosco had almost forgotten about his partner, he was so caught up in the chase. He jumped and glared at Sasha only to find her staring wide-eyed at something ahead of them. Looking ahead he saw the soccer field full of children and scrambling parents on the other side of the grove. He glanced back at the Impala only to see that it wasn't slowing down. Then he looked back at Sasha once again.

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Sasha could not interpret the look on Bosco's face. Was it anger, confusion, remorse? She had no clue until she felt her body lurch forward as Bosco floored the accelerator. Resolve. The cruiser jumped forward and turned suddenly taking a path intended to intercept the Impala. Sasha was horrified by the thought that they would not be able to cover that distance in time. But she was even more horrified by the thought of what would happen if they did. She closed her eyes tightly and sent up a prayer.


	2. Chapters 3 to 5

Disclaimer: Still don't own them.

Collision Course, Chapters 3-5

Sasha felt her body being hurled to the right. The impact jarred her to the core and her brain seemed to be sloshing around inside her skull. But the sound…. the sound was almost unbearable. Metal screeching against metal as the two vehicles melded into one. She thought her eardrums would burst.

After what seemed an eternity, the motion of the mass ceased. And after several more seconds, her brain seemed to only be swimming a little. Sasha slowly took a breath only to cough as the pungent powder from the airbag filled her nose. The impact must have been enough to trigger it, even though the collision was not head-on.

She slowly cracked her eyelids open. 'I'm alive ' she mused as though that thought amazed her. She glanced down at her body to take a brief inventory. 'Everything moves.' 'Nothing feels broken.' 'I don't see any blood.' A tentative sense of relief filled her being, until her next thought sent a shiver down her spine. When she finally found her voice, what came out was only a whisper. "Bosco ? "

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Fred held a startled Charlie close, as he stood captivated by the scene before him. When he had finally located Charlie, he realized that they were directly in the path of the oncoming vehicle. He froze and he was certain that they would be killed. Then it seemed as if a miracle had happened. The police cruiser that had been traveling off to the side suddenly lurched into the path of the Chevrolet. The collision was the most terrifying sight that Fred had ever seen. And now there was only an eerie silence. Parents and children stood gaping at the twisted heap of metal that had stopped only a few feet from the far edge of the soccer field.

'A miracle' Fred had thought, but not for those poor officers who were in that car. Fred couldn't believe that anybody could survive that crash. And he couldn't imagine the courage it took for someone to do what these officers had done. But then again, he could. Faith would be that selfless. That's one of the things that scared him the most about her being a cop. He knew that she would give her life to protect the innocent. That was probably his greatest fear. But not many would make such a sacrifice. Boscorelli, his wife's idiot ex-partner, wouldn't do it. He was certain of that. He shook his head and sighed , thanking God that Faith was working the desk today.

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Sully sat in shocked silence. He had seen what was about to happen just in time to slam on his brakes. The driver of the Impala never even hit his brakes until seconds before he slammed into the driver's side of the other police car. Sully's own RMP slid to a stop just a few yards behind the Impala's final resting place. It was difficult to tell where the Impala ended and where the cruiser began. He finally tore his eyes from the sight, glancing over to see his partner sitting with a silent stare.

"Davis" "Davis! "

" Huh" was all that Davis could muster.

"Come on." Sully knew they had to approach the accident regardless of how horrified they might be by what they saw. He wasn't sure about the Impala's driver, but he was pretty sure about the driver of the RMP. It would be a miracle if they were alive, and Sully didn't believe in miracles.

"Sul?" Davis questioned.

"What?" Sully responded, his voice soft.

"That's 55-David."

Sully looked at the cruiser again, or what was left of it. When he saw that Davis was right, his breath caught. He briefly wondered which of the two would have been driving today. But then he realized that only one of them would have been crazy enough to do what they just did. 'Bosco'

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Sully keyed his radio. "55-Charlie to Central, we're going to need backup and supervisor at this location. Suspect's vehicle has been involved in a high-speed collision with a police vehicle. Requesting Fire and Emergency to this location forthwith." "I repeat. We have officers involved in a MVC at this location. Requesting assistance forthwith."

"Central to 55-Charlie, verify your location please."

"We're in Huntington Park at the soccer fields, Central."

"10-4 Charlie, backup and supervisors are in route. FDNY has been notified."

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Faith's heart seemed to stop momentarily when she heard the latest transmission from 55-Charlie. She saw Cruz running out the door and then Lt. Swersky close behind her. "Lieutenant! Sir!"

Swersky spun around. "WHAT?" he shouted a little more harshly that he intended. His face softened when he saw Faith standing before him.

"Can I go with you, Sir?" Seeing the look of confusion on the lieutenant's face, she added " My son was playing soccer at that park this afternoon, Sir."

" Kingsley, can you handle the desk by yourself?" Swersky asked the remaining officer.

" Sure, Lieu." Kingsley replied.

"Come on, Faith."

As they exited the precinct doors, Faith noticed Maritza Cruz screeching out of the parking lot just ahead of them.

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With his weapon in hand and Davis close behind, Sully approached the driver's side of the suspect's vehicle. He only had to glance at the suspect to realize that he was no longer a danger to anyone. He had not been wearing his seatbelt and had been hurled into the steering wheel and windshield. It appeared that the steering column had broken from the impact.

He holstered his weapon and hurried around to the passenger side of the RMP. Glancing through the window, he noticed Sasha. He gently opened the door and knelt down beside her. She was shaking slightly and had tears rolling down her cheeks. But other than that, she looked relatively unharmed. He hesitated a moment and then glanced beyond her. Bosco was draped over the airbag and steering wheel with his right arm hanging limply at his side. His head was turned toward the driver's side so Sully could not see his face. He wasn't moving. And Sully couldn't tell if he was breathing from that distance.


	3. Chapters 6 to 8

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

Collision Course, Chapters 6-8

"Sasha ?" "Sasha ?" Sully reached out and put a hand on her arm. Sasha flinched at his touch. "Sasha, are you hurt ?" Sully quietly questioned.

" I… I… don't…. I don't.….. know. I…. I don't think … s.so."

"Does your neck hurt?"

"N..N.. No."

"Your back ?"

" No." Sasha whispered.

"Do you think you can move?"

Sasha shook her head yes as she sobbed quietly.

Sully turned to Davis who still had a blank stare on his face, only now it was accompanied by a slight frown. "Davis, help me."

"Huh?" Davis questioned.

"Help me get her out of the car so I can check on Bosco."

"Oh, right. Sorry, Sul." Davis moved closer to the door.

"Ok Sasha. We're gonna get you out of here, ok ?" Sully questioned as he reached for her left hand with his left.

"Ok." Sasha said, but she looked a little bewildered. Sully then reached down with his right arm and gently lifted her legs out of the car. With him holding one arm and Ty holding the other they managed to stand her up.

"Can you walk?" Sully asked.

Sasha gave him another bewildered look and slowly took a step forward. Together Sully and Ty led her over to an old tree stump about 10 feet away and helped her sit down.

"Ty?" Sully studied the look on Ty's face. In his current condition, he was going to be about as useful as a fart in a whirlpool. " You stay with Sasha." Sully ordered as he turned back to the RMP.

When he reached the door, Sully glanced in once again at Bosco. Nothing seemed to have changed. Sully slowly crawled into the RMP until he reached Bosco's side. He braced himself with one hand on the dash and one on the back of Bosco's seat and then leaned over Bosco's back. He frowned when he saw his face. His eyes were closed. And there was blood streaming down the side of his head and face onto his shirt. From what Sully could see, there appeared to be a large gash that began just above his left eye, crossed his temple, and ended just above his left ear. Then there was another cut across his left cheek just below his eye. The driver's side door was pushed in and Bosco's left arm was wedged between the door and his body. Sully couldn't really see his left leg for all the twisted metal.

Sully sighed and hesitantly moved his left hand to Bosco's neck to check for a pulse. He was relieved to find that his pulse was present and actually fairly strong. He leaned closer and could tell that Bosco was breathing as well. His breaths were a little shallow, but he was breathing. Sully relaxed a bit and let out the breath that he had been holding.

The sound of sirens caught Sully's attention. He backed out of the car and looked around. Several squad cars had pulled up. Ty had apparently snapped out of the daze he was in. He had retrieved a blanket from their RMP and wrapped it around Sasha. Then he had headed over to the soccer field to see if everyone there was ok. Sully directed several of the arriving officers to assist Davis and to seal off the area. Where was that bus? Sully was about to key his radio, when he heard the familiar Hi-Lo siren in the background. An ambulance was arriving along with several fire trucks.

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Kim surveyed the wreckage. From the looks of it, this wasn't going to be pretty. She only hoped that she didn't know any of the officers involved. She glanced at Doc hoping he would be civil if Bosco was here.

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Sully was happy to see Kim approaching. She was a quality medic and he knew she cared about Bosco. Doc, on the other hand, was a different story. He had been really out there lately. And he and Bosco had butted heads routinely since that incident with the murderer on Amherst Street. In fact, Sully and Davis had pulled them apart just a few days ago.

"What have we got, Sully?" Doc questioned.

Sully pointed to Sasha. "She's pretty shaken up, Doc. You might want to take a look at her."

"What about that guy?" Doc was motioning to the Impala.

"He's beyond help." Sully replied.

Doc proceeded over to check for himself causing Sully to role his eyes.

Kim gave Sully a questioning look.

Sully pointed to the RMP. "It's Bosco, Kim. And it doesn't look very good."

At Sully's words, Kim felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach. She and Bosco had not always gotten along, but things had changed a few weeks ago when Bosco rescued her from two would be attackers that were posing as cops. Bosco took a few lumps in that altercation. So now, despite his not so cherry disposition at times, Kim considered him a friend. She hurried over to the RMP. Placing her supplies down beside the car, she climbed inside.

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"Sullivan!"

Sully turned to face Sgt. Cruz.

"What happened?" Cruz asked with a scowl.

Seeing the lieutenant approach, Sully hesitated until the man was close enough to hear the conversation. He didn't want to have to repeat this story.

"We were chasing this nutcase when he decided to take a stroll through the park rather than stay on the street. We followed him. He was headed right toward this soccer field and wasn't slowing down so Bosco cut in front of him to stop him." Sully replied, then nodded his head toward the mangled RMP as if to say 'and there you have it.'

Maritza Cruz suddenly turned pale.

"Sarg, are you alright?" Sully wondered if she was going to faint.

She shook her head yes, but no words came.

"How bad?" Swersky asked looking at the RMP.

"Bad enough" was all Sully knew to say.

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As soon as Swersky's car had stopped, Faith had headed for the soccer field to find Fred and Charlie. She finally spotted them sitting in the grass on the side farthest from the accident. She jogged over and knelt in front of Charlie taking him into her arms.

"Charlie, baby, are you ok?"

Charlie just shrugged and Fred spoke. "I think he's just a little scared."

Faith nodded.

Fred glanced over to the far side of the field. "Did you know those officers?"

"I don't know. I came over here looking for you two. I guess I should get back and see what I can do to help." Faith replied as she started to stand.

Fred reached out and pulled her to him. "I love you, Faith."

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Kim went to work quickly assessing Bosco's injuries. Besides the head injury and facial lacerations, his left forearm was swollen and was likely broken. His breathing was a little irregular, she assumed from chest trauma. Considering the way the driver's door was crushed in, he would surely have internal injuries and probably bleeding. His right arm and leg appeared to be ok. But his left leg seemed to disappear beneath a mass of metal. She grabbed his pants leg, but it would not budge.

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Jimmy walked around the two vehicles to survey the situation. Then he ducked his head through the passenger door of the RMP.

"How's he look, Kim?"

"We've got to move, Jimmy. He's not going to last long and his left leg is stuck."

"Let me take a look."

Kim crawled out of the RMP to let Jimmy in. He reached under the steering column, grabbed Bosco's leg, and pulled. Nothing. It didn't budge. He pulled again, but this time harder. The response that he got was not what he expected. The leg didn't budge, but Bosco let out a loud moan.

Jimmy looked up, but didn't see any movement. He slid back out of the car.

"Kim, I think he's waking up." Jimmy shouted.

Kim was back in the car in a matter of seconds.

Jimmy looked over at DK. "His leg is trapped. We'll have to take the roof off and then see what we've got." DK nodded and headed to the truck to retrieve the jaws.


	4. Chapters 9 to 10

Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Collision Course, Chapters 9-10

As Faith approached the site of the crash, she noted Jimmy and several firefighters working to peel the roof off of the RMP. She headed towards Lieutenant Swersky, but stopped short when she noticed Cruz standing to his left. She and Cruz had gone out of their way to avoid each other since Faith's return to work. They only spoke when it was absolutely vital to their job. There were some who talked about "the new Cruz." They said she'd changed. Even Sully and Ty seemed to be convinced. But Faith wasn't. She knew enough about the old Cruz to know she'd never change.

Faith studied Cruz's face expecting to find the usual arrogant, 'I'm in charge' attitude. But what she saw surprised her. There was a quiet sadness in her eyes, which were fixed on the scene before her. She seemed oblivious to anything else. Faith followed her gaze back to the wreckage. Her own view was partially blocked by Sully. Even so, when she looked closely, she realized that the police cruiser involved was 55-David. An overwhelming dread swept through her as she hurriedly looked around. When she saw Doc nearby examining Sasha, her dread turned to panic. She bolted toward the RMP, but was stopped by Swersky grabbing her arm.

"Stay back, Faith. They're doing everything they can."

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Doc was taking his time evaluating Sasha, even though she appeared to be ok. He had figured out what Sully had done. Sully had directed him toward Sasha to keep him away from Bosco. 'Well, alright then,' he thought. 'If that's the way they want it, then so be it.' They would have to ask him if they wanted his help.

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Sully was lost in thought. He was snapped back to reality by Kim calling to him. The roof along with the screen that divided the front seat from the prisoner area had been removed from the car. And the firefighters were readying their other equipment for the extraction. Sully noticed that Kim had placed a c-collar on Bosco's neck and started an IV in his right arm.

"Sully, where's Doc?" Kim questioned. "I'm gonna need some help over here."

Sully frowned and looked around. "Doc!" he shouted. "Kim needs some help."

"IN A MINUTE!" Doc growled.

A disgusted Sully looked back at Kim.

"Sully, hand me that short spine board." Kim pointed to the board outside the car.

Sully quickly did as he was told.

"Get behind him." Kim ordered, directing Sully into the back seat of the RMP directly behind Bosco.

Again Sully obeyed. Kim sounded as if she meant business.

With Kim kneeling on the seat at Bosco's left side and Sully behind him, they gently leaned him back against the spine board. Sully wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a soft moan escape Bosco. And he was scared to death. He wasn't trained to do this. He was afraid he might hurt Bosco worse than he already was.

"Kim, where are Carlos and Levine?" Sully inquired, hoping he'd soon be relieved of his duties.

"They're tied up in a multi-car pile-up. But they should be here soon. You're doing fine, Sul." Kim reassured him. "Hold this," she ordered as she shoved the bag connected to Bosco's IV into Sully's hand.

Kim went about treating Bosco as Jimmy and DK began working to get the steering column out of the way. Sully looked on in fascinated horror.

Once Kim had bandaged the wounds on Bosco's scalp and face, she proceeded to cut his shirt off and remove his vest. She had forgotten about the vest. 'Maybe that had given him some protection.' That hope was short lived. When she cut his T-shirt open, she could see an angry purple bruise running down Boco's left side. It started just below his arm and disappeared beneath his belt. His breathing was shallow and faster than usual. When she examined his ribs, Bosco moaned once again and Kim looked up to see his eyes flutter.

"Bosco?" Kim questioned, but got no response.

She pressed her hand over his abdomen which tensed and was surprised to hear a mumbled "s…s...stop."

She jumped almost as if she'd been bitten and looked up into Bosco's open eyes. His face was filled with confusion.

"Bosco? Do you know where you are?" Kim questioned.

When he grumbled "New York," Kim almost laughed thinking that he was being his usual wise-guy self. But when she saw the frown on his face she wasn't so sure.

Bosco tried to look around, but was restrained by the c-collar. "Sasha?" He whispered.

Kim gave Sully a questioning glance. Sully leaned down beside Bosco's ear to reassure him. "She's alright, Bosco. Not a scratch on her."

Bosco seemed satisfied with this. Then he tried to raise his right arm to his head, but he couldn't escape Kim's grasp.

"Don't move, Bos." Kim said softly.

Bosco wrinkled his forehead "My eye?"

Kim looked to see that blood had saturated the bandage on his scalp. "That's just blood, Bosco. You've got a bit of a cut up there."

Bosco coughed, then winced. "Hurts" he groaned.

"Yeah, you've got some broken ribs." Kim informed him.

Bosco frowned. "Hospital?"

Kim smiled because he'd said it as if they hadn't thought of it. She placed an oxygen mask over Bosco's mouth and nose. "We're working on that, Bos. Just hang on."

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Jimmy and DK finally managed to remove the steering column. Then Jimmy knelt down behind Kim to get a closer look at Bosco's leg that was trapped. When he did, he saw something neither of them had noticed before. Blood was pooling in the floor of the RMP beside Bosco's leg.

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Ty looked up to see Lt. Swersky and Faith approaching.

The lieutenant nodded to him and then looked at Doc and Sasha. He could tell that Sasha had been crying. She was still shaking slightly.

"How are you doing, Monroe?" He questioned.

"I… I think I'm alright, Sir." Sasha answered in a shaky voice. She wanted to ask about Bosco, but she wasn't sure that she really wanted to hear what might be said.

Swersky turned his attention fully to Doc. "I think Kim may need some help, Doc."

"Yeah, I heard her!" Doc snapped. "But I'm busy with another patient right now. Carlos should be here soon and then I'll leave her."

Faith studied Doc carefully. She was bewildered by the change in him lately. It was obvious to her that Sasha wasn't seriously injured. Normally Doc would be swarming over the most critical patient. But he didn't even seem concerned about Bosco.

"I'll be ok, Doc. You can go if Kim needs you." Sasha encouraged him.

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Kim had splinted Bosco's left forearm and was taking his blood pressure on the other arm when she felt Jimmy tap her lightly on the back.

"BP's 90 over 50 and pulse is 112" she reported to Sully, who wrote the numbers down on a scrap of paper Kim had given him. Kim turned to Jimmy with a questioning look.

"You'd better take a look at this," he reported grimly.

Kim followed Jimmy's gaze to the pool of blood on the floor of the car. She leaned down closer to see if she could tell where it was coming from. She could only see a part of Bosco's bloody pants leg surrounded by the twisted metal. She quickly grabbed a roll of gauze from her supply bag and began wrapping the leg just below the knee. She wrapped it tightly as far down as she could go and then tied it off. The end of the bandage closest to the wreckage soon turned a bright crimson. She glanced at Jimmy with a frown.

"Make it fast, Jimmy. That's the best I can do."

She turned back to Bosco and noticed his eyes were closed.

"Open your eyes, Bosco!" She realized by the shocked look on his face that she'd said it a little too forcefully. "Just try to stay awake. Ok, Bos." she said in a much softer tone.

She quickly started another IV, this time in his upper left arm. She handed it to Sully. "Squeeze it," she ordered as she took the nearly empty bag from his other hand and replaced it with a full one. She moved to check his blood pressure again. 85 over 45, pulse 120. 'Hurry, Jimmy.' She silently begged.

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Jimmy used the hydraulic ram to try to push the mass of metal back, hoping to free Bosco's leg. It didn't work. He'd have to try another approach.

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When Carlos and Levine arrived at the scene, they were astonished by the site before them. They hurried over to Doc to see what they could do to help.

Doc motioned to Sasha. "You guys take her. I'm going to go see if I can help Kim." Doc instructed.

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"How's it coming, Jimmy? " Kim asked. Jimmy could hear the panic in her voice, although he doubted anyone else could.

"Getting closer." Jimmy tried to reassure her.

"Ahhhhh." Bosco moaned as Jimmy cut through a piece of metal and his leg shifted.

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Doc took a quick look at Bosco as he approached. 'Looks like the little tough guy finally met his match.' He looked quickly at Kim. "How's he doing?"

'It's about time, Doc.' Kim wanted to shout it at him but tried to keep her cool for Bosco's sake. She gave Doc a brief rundown.

Doc looked at Jimmy. "How much longer until he's free?"

"Not sure." Jimmy replied. "Hopefully not long."

"Hopefully? What's his pressure?" Doc quizzed. Kim gave him the latest readings.

Doc pulled out his cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Kim questioned.

"I'm calling for a field surgeon. We may have to amputate." Doc grumbled.

"Doc!" Kim and Sully both exclaimed at the same time.

"What?" Doc asked incredulously.

Bosco soon voiced what Kim and Sully were both thinking. "I can hear you, MORON." His voice was surprisingly strong.

"WELL, DO YOU WANT TO BLEED TO DEATH?" Doc practically shouted.

Bosco glared at Doc then back at Kim. "Nobody's cutting my leg off! You let me die first!"

"Calm down, Bosco." Kim instructed.

"And don't let that IDIOT touch me! " Bosco coughed and took a shaky breath, the exertion of dealing with Doc taking its toll.

"FINE!" Doc shouted and turned to leave.

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Kim was seething.

"I do believe that the patient has refused to let me treat him." Doc calmly stated and stalked away.

Sully was red in the face and shaking. If he hadn't had his hands full of the vital fluids that Bosco needed, he would have ripped Doc's head off.

Kim closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to get herself together. She could deal with Doc later.

When she opened her eyes she was surprised at what she saw before her. Bosco was silently staring ahead, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears. His lips trembled as he tried to keep his composure. His whole body shook slightly and a thin film of sweat formed on his brow. He took in a stuttering breath and when he spoke it was almost a whisper. "I'm gonna die."

Kim couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement of fact. Her breath caught and she was unable to reply as she watched Bosco gasp for a breath between the sobs that suddenly wracked his body. Tears mixed with blood rolled down his cheek.

"NO BOSCO! Don't say that. You're going to be fine."

Sully's raspy voice snapped Kim out of her shocked silence. "Sully's right, Bos. Where gonna get you out of here any minute. ISN'T THAT RIGHT, JIMMY?" She raised her voice.

"Almost there." Jimmy assured.

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Carlos hurried over to the RMP and surveyed the scene. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he felt almost as if he were trespassing. The silence was eerie. Finally Kim looked up to acknowledge him. "What's Doc's problem? " he barked, trying to break the silence.

Kim shrugged in defeat.

"Well, he left with Levine. So I'm with you. What do you need?" his voice softened.

"Can you get the gurney so we'll be ready to go? And more saline?" Kim added as she changed the bag on Bosco's IV again.

"Sure" Carlos mumbled as he hurried towards the bus.

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Jimmy was still working diligently to free Bosco's leg, when Kim noticed that Bosco's eyes were again closed As she reached up to lightly shake his shoulder, he opened his eyes spontaneously. He was strangely calm compared to before. "What time is it?" he asked.

Kim looked at her watch. She was amazed to find that it was only 4:37. Although it seemed like days, it had only been about 35 minutes since the crash. It was one of the first calls of their shift. "It's 4:37." She informed Bosco.

Bosco looked as if he were pondering something, then suddenly he tried to sit up. "I've got to go." He urged as Kim tried to restrain him.

"Got to go where, Bosco? We're going to the hospital." Kim soothed.

"No, I've got to go home." Bosco rambled. "If I'm late, Dad will be mad. I can't be late." His voice was getting more urgent as he tried to get Kim's hands off of him.

Sully gave Kim a confused look and she just shook her head. "Bosco, relax." Sully's voice was quiet and calm.

"NO!" Bosco shouted, becoming more desperate. "If I'm late Dad will be mad and he'll take it out on Ma. Mikey can't protect her. I have to go." His eyes were filling with tears again and he gasped for breath as he struggled with Kim and Sully.

Kim realized that it must be shock that was causing him to be so confused. "Bosco, listen." She pleaded. "We're going to take you to the hospital and Sully will go get your mom. Ok? Nobody's going to hurt her."

Bosco calmed a bit and looked at Kim apprehensively. "Promise?" he questioned.

Kim's heart broke. "I promise, Bosco. Right, Sul?"

Sully cleared his throat as he blinked tears from his eyes. "Yeah, that's right Bos." He assured him, placing a hand on Bosco's shoulder. "In fact, I'm going to go get her right now. Ok?"

Sully couldn't take any more of this. He couldn't stand by helplessly and watch Bosco die. He called over to the first person that he saw, and as she approached he placed the IV bags in her hands. "Squeeze." He commanded, and then left the RMP abruptly.


	5. Chapters 11 to 12

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

Collision Course, Chapters 11-12

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As Sully trudged ahead, he almost ran over Lieutenant Swersky and Faith. He looked up with a frown.

"Where are you going, Sullivan?" Swerky asked.

"I'm going to get Bosco's mom." Sully retorted.

From the tone of his voice, Swerky knew not to question him further.

Faith caught a glimpse of the sadness in Sully's eyes. Her heart sunk and she headed over toward the wreckage to see what was going on. She stopped once again when she noted Maritza Cruz had taken Sully's previous position. She burned with fury. What right did Cruz have to be with Bosco at a time like this? But then again, what right did she herself have? She and Bosco had barely spoken since she had returned to work. Faith had wanted to talk to him, to forgive him, to work things out. But she hadn't for two reasons. The first reason was Fred. Despite his new found faith in God, Fred hated Bosco. He had dislike Bosco for years, but since the incident with Cruz and Noble he truly hated him. The second reason was Maritza Cruz. Faith had been devastated when she returned to see Bosco not only speaking to Cruz but actually working along side her at times like nothing had ever happened. How could he do that after what Cruz had done to them? Was he that naïve and gullible? Faith had been furious. So she had avoided him until one night when they were left alone in the locker room at the end of their shift. Bosco had approached her and his words still lingered in her mind. "Faith, I know that you have every right to hate me and I'm not going to ask for your forgiveness. But I want you to know that I never wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry Faith." Then her stomach turned as she remembered her own words. "Not tonight, Bosco. I don't want to hear it." She didn't look at his face to see the pain that she'd caused. But she had seen it everyday since that night. Whenever he saw her his eyes dropped in shame and his shoulders hunched. No, he would not want her with him now. Her heart ached at the thought that she might never get another chance to make things right. But still she needed to do something. She turned suddenly to search for Sully and saw him opening the door to his police cruiser. "Sully wait!" She shouted. "I'll go with you." Rose didn't need to hear this from a stranger.

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Maritza Cruz stood silently watching Kim and Jimmy working frantically to free Bosco. He was mumbling incoherently. His breathing was fast and labored. And every few minutes he let out a low groan. She wanted to comfort him, but wasn't sure how. And she was surprised at the ache in her heart at seeing him like this. She knew that most people thought she was heartless. Sometimes she even thought so herself. She had tried to convince herself that her previous relationship with Bosco was just physical, with the exception of her need for comfort when she lost her sister. But she knew that it was more than that. She had realized when it was too late that she actually cared for him. But that didn't matter now. She was so caught up in wanting revenge for her sister's death that she did whatever it took, including using Bosco. And even though he seemed to now tolerate her and may have even forgiven her, she knew that he didn't fully trust her and never would. She had ruined any chance that they had at a real relationship.

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Despite the busy pace in the ER at Mercy hospital, the place seemed amazingly quiet. They had taken 3 victims from the multi-car pile-up earlier. But they had diverted the last 3 to other hospitals when they heard that two officers were involved in a high-speed collision and one was seriously injured. Now there was an uneasiness in the air. They had received an update that transport of the more critical officer had been delayed because he was trapped in his car.

Mary knew from listening to the radio transmissions that this would be a bad one. She only hoped that this would not be one of the officers that she knew. In her years at Mercy, she had gotten to know many of the officers well. 'Some of them too well.' She smiled thinking of some of the officers she'd dealt with that seemed to always find trouble. Her smile disappeared when she saw Doc and Levine enter with Sasha Monroe on their gurney and Ty Davis close by her side. She didn't appear to have any major injuries.

"Exam 2." Mary instructed. She caught Ty's arm as they passed.

With a sad expression Ty turned back toward her and uttered the one word that she dreaded to hear. "Bosco."

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"YES!" Jimmy shouted as he felt Bosco's foot finally come free from the wreckage.

In what seemed like a whirlwind, Kim and Carlos moved Bosco onto the gurney and raced toward the bus. Cruz had to jog to keep up. And when the motion stopped she found herself seated by the head of the gurney starring into Bosco's glazed over eyes.

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Kim busied herself placing a pressure bandage on Bosco's leg. It was evident that both bones were broken and one was protruding through the skin. He was still bleeding heavily. Once the bandage was in place, she began to apply anti-shock trousers which when inflated basically compressed any bleeding areas and helped direct the blood flow back towards the heart. She then changed the IV bags once again and repeated his blood pressure. He seemed to have stabilized a bit.

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Cruz noted a sudden look of recognition on Bosco's face. He appeared to be trying to say something, so she leaned down toward him to listen.

"What is it, Chico?" She questioned softly as she rubbed her right thumb along his jaw line.

"Wh…where's Fa…Faith?"

Maritza's spine tightened. She still didn't understand Bosco's relationship with Yokas. Why did he need her so much? Cruz had been in the restroom outside the locker rooms a few weeks ago and overheard Bosco apologizing to Faith. She had also heard Yokas' reply and had seen the despair on Bosco's face in the days that followed. And still he asked for her. She resisted her urge to be angry. This was not the time to be selfish.

"She's on her way, Bosco. She's going to meet us at the hospital." She was relieved to see a slight smile appear on his face.

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Sully and Faith entered the small bar owned by Rose Boscorelli. It was still relatively early and the crowd was small. Faith noticed Rose look up as they approached.

"Faith, how nice to see you," she smiled briefly. "What brings you here?" she questioned and then her smile wavered a bit as she saw Faith's frown.

Rose frowned as well. "What's Mikey done this time?" she inquired.

Faith was a little shocked by the question, but replied grimly "It's not Mikey, Rose."

Rose suddenly paled and Sully reached out to support her elbow, as she muttered in horror "No. Not Maurice."

Faith took her hand and lead her to a chair to sit down. "There's been an accident, Rose."

"Is he.." Rose could not finish the question as she raised her hand to cover her mouth. She let out a small gasp.

"No, Rose. He's alive. But we need to get you over to Mercy. Ok."

Rose looked up with a mixture of relief and fear on her face. "I'll have to tell Julie so she can close the bar."

Julie, Rose's employee, had been standing nearby. "It's ok, Rose. I heard. I'll take care of everything here."

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Ty watched as the emergency room doors at Mercy flew open. Kim, Carlos, and several of the hospital staff members were practically running with the gurney. Despite all the chaos, Bosco was perfectly still. Kim was forcing air into his lungs through a mask and Carlos was compressing his chest as he ran along side. Maritza Cruz followed behind with tears streaming down her face.

He overheard Kim's report to the trauma staff. "33 year old male with multiple injuries from a high-speed MVC, originally regained consciousness at the scene, noted to have scalp and facial lacs, a fractured left arm, multiple rib fractures, probable internal injuries, an open left tib-fib fracture with significant blood loss. Patient lost consciousness again in route. He stopped breathing about two blocks away and we lost his pulse shortly thereafter. 7 liters of saline given in the field. One amp of Epi given in the bus."

'Stopped breathing? Lost his pulse?' Ty could not believe what he was hearing. This was Bosco. Bosco couldn't die.

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As soon as they entered Trauma 2, Dr. Poole, Mercy's newest trauma surgeon, started barking out orders. He was fairly young, but he was very aggressive and had a very commanding presence. "Listen up, people. Get my heart monitor hooked up. I want two units of 0 negative on a rapid infuser. Get me a CBC, Chem 14, type and crossmatch……"

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Mary Proctor could not believe what she was seeing. She felt almost as if she were caught up in a bad dream, or rather a nightmare. Dr. Thomas calling her name snapped her back to attention.

"Mary. Mary? I'm going to need the bronchoscope." He admonished.

"Of course." Mary replied and moved to get the instrument. It wasn't uncommon for the ER staff to use it to help intubate a trauma patient. 'You have to snap out of this and pay attention,' she chided herself. 'You'll be of no help to Bosco if you don't.'

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Dr. Poole looked at the heart monitor. There was a rhythm, but it was very slow. 'Probably PEA.' He asked Carlos to hold chest compressions. And as he suspected there was still no pulse.

Carlos took the opportunity to step back and allow one of the other ER workers to resume compressions. Jeremy was new in the ER as well and was very eager. He was also a very stout young man. With his first compression, several loud pops were heard. "Take it easy." Dr. Poole ordered. "He's not a very big guy."

Carlos winced as he stepped out of the trauma room. There was no doubt that if Bosco's ribs weren't already broken, they were now.

"Give me 1mg of Atropine and another amp of Epi." Dr. Poole commanded.

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Dr. Thomas listened to Bosco's lungs and was glad to hear breath sounds on each side, although they were a little decreased on the left. Mary taped the tube in place and started bagging Bosco through it. Dr. Thomas then proceeded to try to put a larger IV in Bosco's neck.

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Dr. Poole did a quick exam and noted the extensive bruising on Bosco's left side. He felt his abdomen, which was extremely tense. There was no doubt that he was bleeding internally. He left the anti-shock trousers in place. Once Dr. Thomas reported that the tube was in, he listened to Bosco's lungs. Then he noted the heart rate on the monitor. It was still much to slow. He had Jeremy hold compressions again. There was still no pulse. "Resume compressions."

He ordered another round of Epi and Atropine. And two more units of blood were started. Even then, there was still no pulse. "Get me the thoracotomy tray." He announced.

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Mary Proctor knew what she was about to hear but still was not prepared for it. "Cracking" a person's chest was a last resort. She had only seen it done a few times, but had never seen it work. Bobby Caffey was the only patient that Mary had seen who actually made it to the OR. The others had died in the ER. She sighed inwardly. She hated to see Bosco undergo such a brutal procedure.

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Kim, Carlos, Levine, Cruz and Ty all stood silent watching the commotion in the exam room. Doc had gone to get coffee, but had told Levine to be ready to go when he returned. Sasha fortunately had been sedated and was resting in another room. When Kim heard Dr. Poole ask for the thoracotomy tray, she turned her back and walked away. She had watched them do this to Bobby and she couldn't bear to see it again.

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Dr. Poole took a deep breath as he began to make a large incision between two of the ribs along the officers left side. During times like these he often wondered how he'd gotten himself into this position. What had happened to the college freshman that only wanted to teach high school science? He had often joked that he had gotten a little side tracked and found himself in medical school. On days like today, he sometimes wished he had followed his original course.

He had performed this procedure a few times, but seldom with good results. As he placed the rib spreader between the officer's ribs and began to open it, he visibly cringed. He still could not get over the gruesome sound of ribs breaking and flesh tearing. He wondered if he really had any right to do such a barbaric thing to another human being. He almost felt as if he were in the middle ages. Maybe he was wrong to prolong things and submit this man to further torture. But he had to try. It was his duty. He'd sworn an oath.

When the ribs were spread a small amount of blood drained out onto the bed and dripped onto the floor. The lung was badly bruised. But Dr. Poole didn't find any significant bleeding within the chest itself. He suspected that most of the blood loss was within the abdomen and from the leg. He proceeded on to locate the aorta, the main artery that supplied all the major organs in the abdomen and the legs. It was a risky move that could potentially lead to organ damage or even paralysis because this artery also supplied the spinal cord. But he had no other choice. When he found the artery, he clamped it off.


	6. Chapters 13 to 15

Disclaimer: Don't own the original characters, but Dr. Poole and Jeremy are MINE!

Collision Course, Chapter 13

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Sully watched Rose Boscorelli like a hawk as they approached the emergency room doors at Mercy. She had been extremely quiet during the ride over and she was still visibly pale. He was glad that Faith had gone with him. He wasn't sure he could have handled her by himself.

When they entered the door, they noted several members of the 55 standing and staring at one of the trauma rooms. As they advanced, Faith looked past them to see a team of doctors and nurses working on Bosco. Her heart leapt to her throat when she saw one of the team doing chest compressions. Rose must have seen it as well, because she let out a small gasp and collapsed. Fortunately Sully was close enough behind her to break her fall.

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After clamping the aorta, Dr. Poole ordered another dose of Epinephrine. Jeremy continued chest compressions as everyone else watched the monitor. The heart rate began to slowly increase. When it reached 110, Dr. Poole asked Jeremy again to hold the compressions. He hesitantly placed two fingers to Bosco's neck while sending up a short prayer. "Bingo!" he shouted. "We've got a pulse! Somebody get me a blood pressure."

Dana was already in motion. After a moment she reported "85/35, Sir."

"Hang some Dopamine and let's move, people. Tell the OR we're on our way."

Dana quickly started the infusion of Dopamine to try to get Bosco's blood pressure up to a more normal level. She had barely gotten it started, when Dr. Poole grabbed the foot of Bosco's bed and jerked it out the door towards the OR. It was all that the others could do to keep up with him."

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Faith watched anxiously as Bosco was wheeled past them towards the elevator. She was alarmed to see how ashen he was. And she felt sick when she saw the surgical instruments protruding from the gaping hole in the side of his chest. Blood dripped from the gurney onto the floor as they passed.

She tore her eyes from the site and turned back to Sully and Rose. Rose was still lying on the floor with her head resting in Sully's lap. She was beginning to stir. Faith was touched by the site of Sully smoothing Rose's hair back and talking to her in a soft voice.

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As Rose felt her world coming back to her, she was a bit confused. She struggled to open her eyes. When she did, she found herself looking into the deep brown eyes of a rather large man. He was going on about how everything would be all right. What on earth was he talking about? She wondered. And what was she doing on the floor? She sat up abruptly when she remembered where she was.

"Maurice!" she shouted, as she struggled to her feet. When she saw that the trauma room was empty, she feared the worst. But then she heard Faith telling her that it was ok. He'd been taken to surgery. She swayed on her feet and the rather large man took her by the arm and placed his other hand behind her back to steady her. She finally recognized him as the officer who had come with Faith to get her. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"That's ok, Mrs. Boscorelli," Sully replied as he helped her over to a chair.

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Faith stared at the clock on the waiting room wall once again. It had been forty minutes since Bosco had been taken into surgery, but it seemed like an eternity. Lt. Swersky had stopped by, but had left again to go update the chief. Ty was waiting downstairs for Sasha to be moved to a room for observation overnight. The medics had all been called out again, but Kim and Carlos had said they'd stop back by as soon as they got a break.

Faith looked over at Rose who was sitting by her side. She noticed Rose's left leg bobbing up and down and smiled slightly. Now she knew where Bosco had gotten that annoying nervous habit. She looked up again to see Sully approaching with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Here you go, Mrs. Boscorelli. Is there anything else that I can get you?" Sully questioned softly.

Faith was amazed at the way Sully hovered around Rose. It was almost as if someone had given him charge over her.

"No. Thank you, Officer Sullivan." Rose replied, taking the cup and looking back towards her feet.

"Is there anyone you need us to contact?" Sully inquired.

Rose hesitated as though deep in thought. Then she looked up at Sully with a frown. "I guess we should let Maurice's father know what's going on." "And Mikey." She added.

Sully remained silent. He was remembering what Bosco had said about his father while he was delirious in the car. He sighed and addressed Rose. "I guess I could do that. Do you know where I can find them?"

"Well, Anthony works for a cab company over on Tenth Street. I don't know where Mikey's staying now. I haven't heard from him in a few weeks." Rose admitted.

"I'll see what I can do." Sully assured her and turned to leave.

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Maritza Cruz had spent the last 40 minutes pacing the room. 'I'll go crazy just waiting here.' She turned and almost collided with Sully.

"Sorry, Sarg." Sully apologized.

"Don't worry about it" Maritza replied. "Where are you going?"

"To try to find Bosco's dad and brother." Sully answered.

"Like they'll care." Maritza mumbled. Then she spoke more clearly. "Do you know where to find them?"

"I have an idea about dear ole Dad, but not Mikey." Sully replied.

"Well, why don't you find Dad and I'll find Mikey." Cruz suggested. "I'm sure I can find some other junky willing to give him up." Cruz continued. 'And it beats sitting here trying to avoid Yokas' stare.' She added to herself.

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Maritza Cruz stopped the car when she saw Joey Pallini standing on the sidewalk. As she walked over toward him, he moaned and started to walk away. "Stop right there, Joey!" Cruz commanded.

"Oh, come on, Sergeant Cruz. I ain't doing nothin." Joey complained.

"Sure you ain't, Joey." Cruz answered. "And if you are, I don't care. I'm looking for Mikey Boscorelli."

Joey shook his head sideways. "You know I don't give up my friends, Sergeant."

"I don't want to arrest him, Joey." Cruz replied.

Joey gave her a quizzical look.

"Look" Cruz began. "His brother was injured today. I just want to take him over to Mercy. His mother's asking for him." Cruz hoped that Joey had at least one decent bone in his body.

"Officer Boscorelli?" Joey questioned.

"Yeah." Cruz confirmed.

"What happened?" Joey quizzed.

"He was injured in a collision over at Huntington Park." 'Not that it's any of your business.' Cruz thought.

"That was Officer Boscorelli?" Joey asked in amazement. "I didn't think he had that in him." Joey continued. Apparently news of the heroic action had already been released.

"Well people can sometimes surprise you, Joey." Cruz replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah, I guess so." Joey still looked baffled. "Look, Mikey was staying over on Seventh last I heard. I hope you find him. Can I go now?" Joey questioned.

"Sure." Cruz shook her head. "Oh, and thanks, Joey." She added.

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Sully looked at his watch again. The cab company had radioed Anthony Boscorelli twice in the last 30 minutes asking him to return to the house. They had even told him the last time that it was a family emergency.

Finally a car turned into the parking lot. Sully noticed a dark haired man get out. He was built a lot like Bosco, but was a little larger. He had small dark eyes that looked almost like marbles and his hair curled slightly at the ends.

"You call for me?" He questioned Sully gruffly.

"Are you Anthony Boscorelli?" Sully was not in the mood for this.

"Yeah," the man replied. "What's this about a family emergency? Something happen to Mikey?"

"No." Sully responded. "It's Maurice."

A frown passed over Anthony's face. "Why are you contacting me? Call his mother."

Sully was getting irritated very quickly. "She thought you'd like to know that your son is in surgery fighting for his life!" Sully half shouted.

Anthony hesitated for a moment and then replied. "He wouldn't want me there." He turned and headed back to his car. He paused and turned back toward Sully. "Is that all, Officer?"

"That's all." Sully grumbled in disbelief. He was astonished at the other man's reaction or the lack thereof. 'How could anyone not care that their own child might be dying?'

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Maritza Cruz walked into an old run down hotel on Seventh Street. She had questioned several other users in the neighborhood about Mikey's exact location. She approached room 12 and banged on the door. She heard giggling from the other side of the door and then a slurred "Hold on." She heard the chain being unhooked. The door opened to reveal an obviously high Mikey Boscorelli. He was dressed in ragged jeans and dingy socks. He had no shirt or shoes on. And his hair was disheveled.

"Do I know you?" He questioned Maritza, and then laughed.

"No, but you're about too." Maritza seethed. She yanked Mikey out into the hall by his arm and cuffed him.

"WHOA!!! Little Momma." Mikey began. "Why you being so rough?"

"Shut up!" Cruz shouted and dragged him towards her car.

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Cruz pushed Mikey into a holding cell and turned away in disgust.

"What are the charges, Sarg?" The guard questioned.

"No charges." Maritza replied. "Just have someone call me when he comes down from his little high." She headed back to the hospital to see if there was any news about Bosco.

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Sully had arrived back at the hospital to find Rose Boscorelli and Faith in almost the same position as he'd left them. Davis had joined them once Sasha was settled in a room.

Sully had wondered what he should tell Bosco's mom, but he decided it was probably best to tell her the truth. She hadn't seemed very surprised when Sully told her that her ex-husband didn't think Maurice would want him there. "Well, at least he knows," had been her only comment.

Sully now sat in silence. His mind wandered back to the time when Ty and Bosco had kidnapped him to try to sober him up. Despite his delirium at the time, he remembered some of the awful things he'd said to Bosco, particularly those things he'd said about Bosco's father. He wished now that he could take those things back. He could only imagine what Bosco's childhood must have been like. Despite the things Sully had said, Bosco had been a good friend. And Sully could not recall ever thanking him for it. Now he wondered if he'd ever get the chance.

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Ty looked up to see Sergeant Cruz entering the surgery waiting room. He was surprised that Mikey Boscorelli wasn't with her. If anyone could find Mikey, he thought Cruz could. He approached her with a questioning look. "No luck?"

"Oh, I found him." Cruz answered.

"Where is he?" Ty asked.

"In lock-up." Maritza replied.

"You arrested him?" Davis was obviously shocked.

"No, they're just holding him until he comes down. He was high." Cruz said with disgust.

"Oh." Ty just shook his head.

"Any news?" Cruz questioned.

"No, but I'm thinking no news is good news. I mean if he's made it this long…" Ty shrugged his shoulders but didn't continue.

Cruz looked at her watch. It was after 8:00PM. Bosco had been in surgery for just over three hours. She walked over to Bosco's mother, but avoided making eye contact with Yokas.

"Did you find Mikey?" Rose Boscorelli asked hopefully.

"No, I'm sorry. But I've got some guys still looking. I'm sure we'll find him soon." She hated to lie to Bosco's mom, but she just couldn't bear to tell her the truth.

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Fred Yokas sat on the couch watching the TV. It was almost time for the late night news. He wondered what had happened to the officers in that police cruiser. He wanted to call Faith, but she was probably busy. Charlie had finally settled down and was in his room. Emily was staying overnight at a friend's house. Fred flipped the channel and stopped when he saw a news update.

He listened to the reporter. "In a news conference from Mercy hospital, police have released the names of the officers involved in a high speed collision in Huntington Park earlier this afternoon. Officer Maurice Boscorelli, the driver of the police cruiser, is currently in surgery and is said to be in critical condition. Officer Boscorelli's partner, Officer Sasha Monroe, has been hospitalized for observation but is expected to be released tomorrow. The officers apparently veered into the path of a fleeing robbery suspect's vehicle…" The remainder of the report was lost to Fred.

'Bosco?' Fred couldn't believe what he had heard. 'Bosco, his wife's arrogant, self-centered, pompous ex-partner, had saved his life and Charlie's?' But Bosco wouldn't do that. Fred was sure of it. There must be some mistake. Yet when he looked up at the TV screen again, he saw Bosco's picture displayed on the screen. 'Bosco?' 'Surely I couldn't have been that wrong about him?' Fred questioned himself. He fumbled with the telephone. He had to call Faith and find out what was going on.

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Faith jumped at the sound of her cell phone ringing. She had been lost in thought. Lieutenant Swersky had come and gone once more. Beside her Rose was wringing her hands with worry. Maritza Cruz was pacing the floor again. Sully and Ty sat across the room talking quietly.

Faith stood and took a few steps away from Rose. "Hello?" she answered softly.

"Faith? Is that you?"

"Well who else would it be, Fred?" Faith replied.

"Where are you?" Fred asked.

Faith sighed. She wasn't sure she wanted Fred to know where she was. "I'm at the hospital, Fred."

"Faith, is it true?" Fred inquired.

"Is what true?" Faith responded.

"Is it true that Bosco was driving that police car?"

Faith remained silent, unsure if she should answer Fred. "Yeah, Fred, it's true."

"I saw it on the news. They said he's critical."

Was that concern she heard in Fred's voice? Faith had assumed that he'd be angry at her for being at the hospital. Fred had practically hated Bosco since Faith had been shot.

"He's still in surgery, Fred. But, yeah, it's bad."

Fred's voice was quiet, almost mournful. "He saved our lives, Faith."

"What?" Faith questioned.

"He saved our lives, Faith. When I finally found Charlie, I looked up to see that car coming right toward us. Bosco saved our lives." Fred repeated in disbelief.

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Fred had told Faith to stay as long as she needed to and not to worry about him and the kids. Then he said he'd be praying for Bosco. Faith had been utterly amazed. Fred's loathing for Bosco had been one of the reasons that Faith had not forgiven Bos. Well, truth be told, she had forgiven him. She just hadn't let him know that. She felt that she needed to be loyal to her family for once. So she pushed Bosco away. Now, she too prayed. She prayed that she would get another chance. She looked up to see the doors to the waiting area open and a very weary appearing doctor enter.

"Boscorelli?" he inquired.

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Note: In this fic, Bosco's dad is the dad we saw in the cab in one of the earlier seasons, not the more recent grey haired man.


	7. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 16

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"Boscorelli?"

Rose jumped to her feet almost as if she had been burned. "That's us," she whispered. She was visibly trembling. Faith stood at her right side. And in an instant Sully appeared at her left side and cupped her elbow with his hand to steady her.

The doctor approached giving her a half-smile. "Mrs. Boscorelli?" he questioned.

"Yes, I'm Maurice's mother." Her voice wavered, as did her body.

"I'm Doctor Poole. Why don't you sit?" the surgeon ushered her back to her chair then pulled up another chair directly in front of her. Sitting so that he was eye level with Rose, he cleared his throat unsure of where to begin.

"Is… Is Maurice alive?" Rose stammered.

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry. Yes, he's alive. He's just been taken to the surgical ICU." He replied. He was almost relieved that his patient's mother had started the conversation.

The tension on Rose's face visibly lessened as she let out a sigh of relief.

The doctor began again. "I'm sure that you know, Mrs. Boscorelli, your son was very seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision this afternoon." Rose nodded slightly and the doctor continued. "Well, he has multiple injuries including fairly severe lacerations on his scalp and face, several fractured ribs, a broken left forearm, and broken bones in his left lower leg." Rose grimaced, but the doctor continued wanting to get this over with. He had always found talking to families to be the hardest part of his job. "Those injuries should all heal with time. However, he also lost a significant amount of blood from the leg injury, as well as, from injuries to his spleen and left kidney. So much so that when he arrived in the ER, he wasn't breathing and had no pulse. In an effort to stabilize him, we had to place a tube down his throat to breath for him. We also had to make an incision between his ribs to open his chest cavity to see if we could locate any major vessels that were bleeding. While he did have a severely bruised lung and some minor bleeding, I didn't notice any major bleeding in his chest. We assumed then that the bleeding was due to internal injuries in the abdomen and to his leg injury. So to help get his blood pressure up, we clamped the major blood vessel that goes through the chest to the rest of the body. That's what allowed us to get him stabilized enough to go to surgery." Dr. Poole paused to see if Mrs. Boscorelli was still following him.

"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Rose asked. "To stop the blood flow to the rest of his body, I mean."

"Yes, it can be." The doctor replied. "Especially if it's stopped for too long. But we were able to unclamp the artery in the operating room fairly quickly once we clamped off some smaller blood vessels that were the sources of most of the bleeding." Dr. Poole assured her.

"Ok." she mumbled.

The young doctor continued. "When we got him in the OR, we confirmed that he did have injuries to his spleen and left kidney. Now, sometimes if a patient is more stable, we try to stop the bleeding and salvage these organs. However, Maurice was too unstable to risk any more bleeding and we didn't want to delay unclamping the main artery. So we had to remove them. We also had the orthopedic surgeon work on his leg to stop the bleeding there and stabilize the broken bones."

"Can he live without his kidney and spleen?" Rose asked.

"Yes, he can live without his spleen, although he will be at greater risk for certain infections that can be severe. And he can live with only one kidney provided that it functions properly." He hesitated, but then continued. "That is one of my concerns."

"How so?" Rose questioned again.

"Well, Mrs. Boscorelli, Maurice was without a pulse for around 10 minutes in the ER and then had a very low blood pressure for some time thereafter. Not to mention the interruption of blood flow when we clamped his aorta off. Anyway, the kidneys along with other organs are very sensitive to a low blood pressure or lack of oxygen. So I am concerned about his remaining kidney. In fact, his urine output is much less than I would like it to be at this point." The doctor explained.

"What can we do if that kidney doesn't work right, doctor?" Rose was a bit alarmed.

"Well, in that case, he might need dialysis." Rose let out a slight gasp, as did Faith who was at her side. The doctor continued, trying to be more positive. "But that may only be temporary. Kidneys will often improve slowly over time after such an injury."

Rose swallowed and tried to hold back tears.

Dr. Poole hesitated, but then continued again knowing that Mrs. Boscorelli needed to be fully informed of her son's condition. "There is something else that I think you should be aware of, a few things actually. First, although Maurice is more stable now, he is still in very critical condition. So it's hard to say how things will go. He is still on a ventilator and has two chest tubes. The lung injury may get worse before it gets better, so we can expect him to remain on the ventilator for several days. Also, even though he was resuscitated fairly quickly, we never know how adequate those efforts are or if we're getting enough oxygen to the brain. So there could be some permanent damage."

Rose looked a bit confused. "Damage?" she finally asked.

"Brain damage, Mrs. Boscorelli." He offered a compassionate smile. "But hopefully not. There's no way to know really until he wakes up." He added to himself, 'if he wakes up.' But he didn't utter it aloud. He placed a hand on Rose's trembling one. "The ICU waiting room is right down the hall to the left. The plastic surgeon is sewing up the lacerations on Maurice's face and scalp now. But his nurse will come and get you as soon as she can so that you can see him. I wouldn't expect him to respond to you tonight. His body is exhausted, and we're giving him pain medication and a sedative to keep him comfortable and let him rest. I'll try to check on him again later, and I'll be in the hospital all night if something happens." With that he stood and with a final pat to Rose's shoulder turned to leave.

"Thank you, doctor." Rose answered quietly, and then looked at her feet to hide the tears flowing down her cheeks.

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Hehehe..I do believe that someone suggested that it was time to fix him…hehe. Be patient, friends. There is no quick fix for Bosco in this story.


	8. Chapters 17 to 19

Disclaimer: I don't own the original characters or places. So sad.

Collision Course, Chapter 17

After allowing Mrs. Boscorelli a few moments to compose herself, Faith along with Sully and Cruz began to escort her towards the ICU waiting room. Ty went to check on Sasha and update her on Bosco's condition.

As soon as the officers and Rose exited the surgery waiting room, they were bombarded with reporters asking Mrs. Boscorelli questions. An infuriated Maritza Cruz shoved several reporters away while shouting "STAND BACK! MOVE BACK, NOW!" Sully moved himself between Rose and the reporters while holding his jacket open to block their view and their cameras. Faith held on to Rose's arm and hurried her along. They were met by Lieutenant Swersky who escorted them into the ICU waiting area and posted officers at the doors to keep the crowd back.

Once inside, Maritza was seething. She shouted several sentences in Spanish. Sully recognized a few of the colorful expressions and blushed slightly, hoping that Rose couldn't understand her. Then Cruz continued in English "VULTURES! Can't even show a little respect!"

"It's a big story." Sully commented. "Bosco's gonna be a hero."

"He wouldn't want that." Rose said quietly.

Swersky joined in, "It's been a madhouse out there all night. I'm going to post officers here around the clock." "Maybe you guys and Ty can rotate." Swersky added. He had a feeling that none of these officers would be very useful on the streets or at the station until Bosco was out of the woods.

"That'd be good, Lieu." Faith replied, realizing what he was doing.

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Ty opened Sasha's door to find her sitting on the side of her bed arguing with her nurse.

"I'm not staying here!" she shouted. "I'm going to check on my partner!"

Ty held back a laugh as the nurse tried again to explain to Sasha why she couldn't go.

"I don't care what the doctor said!" Sasha continued to argue.

The nurse sighed and looked over at Ty as he entered. "Maybe you can do something with her."

"Doubt that." Ty answered.

"Ty, tell this…this… woman that I'm fine. I've got to check on Bosco." Sasha muttered.

"There's nothing you can do up there." Ty assured her. "Bosco's out of surgery and is being moved to the ICU." He explained.

"How is he?" Sasha asked, the fear evident in her voice.

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Kathy sighed as she watched Dr. Summers working patiently to stitch up the gashes on the young officer's head and face. Dr. Summers would remove one stitch for every three or four that she placed. She was an excellent plastic surgeon and took great pride in her work, but Kathy knew that there was a family waiting outside to see her patient.

It was nights like these that made Kathy not like nursing. This was the very reason she had left the ICU several month before. She had seen too many tragedies in her 5 years in the unit. She'd seen enough young men shot by gang members or injured in drunk driving accidents to last a lifetime. It had become too discouraging. She'd finally gotten so depressed by it that she asked to be moved to a regular floor. But one of the ICU nurses was out on maternity leave. And with the shortage of nurses, Kathy's skills were needed. So here she was in the ICU once again, and working the night shift at that. How could she be so gullible?

She looked again at the officer before her. The poor man was clinging to life. And it wasn't because he was being reckless or irresponsible. He had been doing his job, protecting the public. And now, if he lived, he would have a long hard road to recovery.

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Faith had called to update Fred on Bosco's condition. She was still amazed at the change in his attitude. He had told her to stay as long as she was needed and that he'd call back to check on them later. Faith looked up to see Mary Proctor entering the waiting room. She glanced at her watch. It was 11:05. She was slightly alarmed when she realized how long they had been waiting for Bosco's nurse.

"Hi, guys. How are things going?" Mary asked with concern.

"We're waiting for the nurse, so Mrs. Boscorelli can go see him." Sully replied. "It's been a while though." He briefly wondered if something bad had happened.

Mary approached Rose Boscorelli. She remembered her from the time she had come into the ER after being beaten by her boyfriend. She also remembered how angry Bosco had been. "How are you doing, Mrs. Boscorelli? Is there anything that you need?" Mary asked.

"I just need to see my son." Rose replied wearily.

"Maybe I can go back and see what's taking so long." Mary offered.

"That would be great." Rose smile slightly.

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Mary approached Bosco's room and noticed Kathy. "I thought you had moved downstairs?" Mary questioned.

"I had, but I got rooked into covering while Martha was out on maternity leave." Kathy smiled. She had known Mary for a long time. "What brings you up here?" she asked.

"I was just coming to check on Bosco. His family is getting restless." Mary paused as she got her first good look at the patient. She bit her lip, then turned to Kathy. "He's stable?"

"For now." Kathy replied. "You know him?"

"Everybody in the ER knows Bosco." Mary answered with a broad smile.

"Well, Dr. Summers is just finishing up and then I'll come out to get his family." Kathy assured her.

"Ok." Mary turned to leave, but then turned back. "Take good care of him, Kathy." Mary said with a sad tone.

"You know I will." Kathy replied. She had known Mary for a long time and knew how tough she could be. If Officer Boscorelli had found a place in Mary's heart, she knew he must be pretty special.

"All done." Dr. Summers smiled in satisfaction. "What do you think?" she added.

Kathy thought it might be some of Dr. Summers' best work yet.

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Sully looked up to see Carlos and Kim entering the room.

"It's a zoo out there." Carlos noted.

"Sorry, it took us so long to get back guys. The whole night was crazy." Kim apologized. "How is he?" She added hesitantly.

"Still critical, but he made it through surgery." Sully answered as Kim sat down beside him.

"Thanks for your help out there, Sul."

"No, thank you, Kim. If it hadn't been for you and Jimmy, we'd have never made it this far." Sully answered.

Everyone turned as the doors to the ICU opened. "His nurse should be out to get you in a few minutes." Mary assured them. "Kathy's excellent, Mrs. Boscorelli. He's in good hands." She gave Rose a slight hug and then said her goodbyes.

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Kathy surveyed her patient one last time. He was still unconscious. His heart rate had been increased on arrival. But with a minimal amount of pain medication and sedatives it had slowed to a more reasonable rate. His blood pressure was still on the low side, but not worrisome. She had placed bandages over the cuts on his scalp and under his eye. And she had placed the drains for the chest tubes to the side of the bed away from the door, along with the foley bag and drains from his abdominal incision. Families usually handled things better when they didn't see all of those things. She pulled his blanket up over his chest, but left his right hand uncovered. Then she headed out to the waiting room to meet his family.

Collision Course, Chapter 18

Peeking through the glass into the waiting room, Kathy finally spotted one lone middle-aged woman among the sea of blue uniforms. That must be her patient's mother she noted, because he definitely had her nose. He must have gotten his size from her as well. Kathy was surprised at how small he looked. But then, someone did say that dynamite came in little packages. He had to be tough to have survived his injuries. She straightened her own tiny frame and pushed the door open.

"Mrs. Boscorelli?"

Rose looked up to see a petite blond nurse coming toward her. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or terrified that she would finally get to see her son. "Yes." She answered hesitantly.

"I'm Kathy. I'm going to be Maurice's nurse for the night." She introduced herself and shook Rose's hand.

"How is he?" Rose questioned.

"He's resting. His blood pressure and heart rate are stable." She paused; then added, "I'm sure that Dr. Poole told you that he is still requiring some help from the ventilator to breath." She always tried to make sure that families expected that before they came in.

"Yes." Rose answered.

Kathy looked around the room at the concerned officers and paramedics, then looked back to Rose and said, "You can come back, two at a time." "I'll ask you not to stay for a long visit tonight. He needs to rest." She added.

"Of course." Rose muttered.

"Well, whenever you're ready. Just take your time. We're in room 12." She turned back to the ICU. The poor lady looked terrified and Kathy didn't want to push her to come back before she was ready.

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Rose sat silently for a moment, wringing her hands. Then she looked over at Faith who sat beside her. Her voice was almost a whisper. "Could you go with me, Faith? I don't think I can do this alone."

Faith stared at her in shocked silence. When she recovered her voice she answered, "I…. I don't know, Rose? Bosco, I mean Maurice and I haven't exactly been on good terms lately."

"Nonsense." Rose insisted. "Maurice adores you."

"Well, things change, Mrs. Boscorelli. Maurice and I have said some pretty awful things to each other over the last few months. I'm not sure he'd want me coming in with you." Faith replied.

"None of that matters now, Faith. Besides, Maurice could never hold a grudge for more than a few days. Oh, he might act mad. But he's usually just hurt. He's one of the most forgiving people I've ever known. Sometimes too forgiving for his own good." She added, "Please, Faith, for me."

Faith was saddened by Rose's words. She was right. Bosco had forgiven her once, but she'd hurt him in return. Again she regretted rejecting his apology. She still didn't believe that he'd want her to come back with Rose, but she could hear the desperation in the other woman's voice. "Ok." She finally agreed.

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Rose hesitated as she neared the door to Bosco's room. Her breath caught when she saw him. She almost had to remind herself to breath again. She felt Faith's hand on her shoulder and proceeded on into the room. She was hesitant to look directly at him. She noted all the machines around the bed and the tube coming out of his mouth. Several IV bags were hanging beside the bed. One of them was a blood transfusion. She could only imagine what the others were. When she reached the bedside, she finally focused on his face. She let out a small gasp. He actually looked comfortable, but he was extremely pale. She noticed the large bandage on his head and another under his left eye. He had bruises under his eye and on his cheek. She looked down to see his right hand uncovered and noticed that his fingers were swollen. Then she looked back up at Kathy.

"His hand is swollen." It was more of a statement than a question.

"That's probably from all of the fluids they gave him for his blood pressure." Kathy assured her.

"Can… Can I hold it? I don't want to hurt him." Rose questioned.

"I don't think you'll hurt him." Kathy replied quietly.

Rose reached down and touched Bosco's hand, but then jerked hers back. "He's so cold." She gave Kathy a concerned look.

"That's not uncommon after the kind of surgery that he's had." Kathy told her.

"He doesn't like to be cold." Rose said with a frown.

"I'll get him another blanket." Kathy offered and moved to do so.

As Kathy covered him, Rose took his hand once more and leaned over the bed towards his face. "Maurice? Maurice, baby, I don't know if you can hear me. It's your Ma. I'm here, baby. I'm going to be right outside all night. And this nice young nurse is going to take good care of you." She reached up careful to avoid the breathing tube and ran her fingers over his brow and then through the edge of his hair. "Maurice, do you remember what you promised me?" Her voice became a little more forceful. "You promised me that you wouldn't die before me. And I'm going to hold you to that. Do you hear me, Maurice? You have to be strong. I need you, baby." With that Rose stepped back and sat down into the chair that Kathy had moved behind her. She took Bosco's hand and kissed it. Then she held it against her cheek with her right hand and gently rubbed his upper arm with her left hand as she sobbed silently.

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Faith stood just inside the doorway watching Rose Boscorelli. She felt like she was trespassing, invading the most private moments between a mother and her son. Her heart wept for Rose, but also for her best friend. 'Yes,' she realized. 'You're still my best friend, Bos.' He looked so fragile in that hospital bed surrounded by all that machinery. But he also looked peaceful. Gone was the anger of the months before. Gone was his nervous, restless energy. Gone was the look of despair that she'd caused him to have. 'I forgive you, Bos' she thought. 'If only you'll have the chance to forgive me again. I'm sorry, my friend."

Collision Course, Chapter 19

Carlos rocked back and forth on his heels as Kim and Sully sat talking. Lieutenant Swersky had already headed back to the station and Maritza Cruz had quietly excused herself.

"What's gotten into Doc, Kim?" Sully questioned.

"I don't know, Sully. But today he went too far. I sent him home as soon as I found a replacement; and I'm meeting with my supervisor tomorrow to discuss the situation. He hasn't been the same since Taylor and the Lieutenant died." Kim replied sadly. "I'm hoping they'll force him into counseling rather than fire him." She added.

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After several minutes, Rose kissed Bosco's hand again and laid it down under the blankets. Then she stood and, leaning back over his bed, whispered, "I love you, Maurice." She turned to leave, but then looked back at Kathy who was standing at the foot of the bed. "Could you make sure that they keep a light on?" She hesitated before continuing. She knew that Maurice would be unhappy if he knew what she was about to say. "He doesn't like the dark."

Kathy smiled as she walked Rose and Faith to the door of the room. "We always keep at least one light on. I'll let you know if anything changes. And I'll stop by on my way out in the morning to update you, but you'll probably see Dr. Poole before then. The next visiting time is at 10:00AM."

"Thank you, dear." Rose replied softly.

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Sully and Kim looked up as Rose and Faith came back into the waiting room.

"I think I'm going to go freshen up." Rose muttered as she headed towards the restroom.

"She ok?" Sully asked.

"I think she just needs a few minutes alone." Faith answered. "Where's Carlos?"

"He headed back to the station. Jimmy is going to come by and pick me up." Kim replied.

"Oh," Faith nodded, then her brow creased. "Where's Cruz?"

"Don't know." Sully replied. "She just mumbled something and walked out, shortly after you guys went in."

'Hmmm….' Faith wondered briefly if Cruz had been upset that Rose had asked her to go back with her to see Bosco.

"How is he?" Sully interrupted her thoughts.

"Pretty much like the doctor said. Except for all the tubes going in and out of him, he almost looks like he's sleeping." "I think I'm going to take a little walk." Faith added, then headed towards the door to the hall. Rose wasn't the only one who needed a few minutes alone.

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As Faith exited the waiting room, she noticed two of the night shift officers standing guard at the door. They both nodded at her as she passed. She wandered aimlessly for a few minutes, and finally stopped outside of the chapel. She hadn't prayed in a very long time. She had always taken it upon herself to fix everything. 'Why turn to God, when you can fix it yourself?' Even when Fred had had his heart attack and Emily her overdose, she hadn't prayed. She'd focused all her energy on controlling everything that she could. Now she felt totally out of control.

She hesitantly placed her hand on the door and pushed it open. Once inside she froze, amazed at what she saw before her. Maritza Cruz was on her knees in front of the altar, her head bowed, and her shoulders slumped. She was praying aloud in a mixture of Spanish and English. Her voice wasn't loud enough for Faith to understand more than a few words here and there. But the urgency in her tone was chilling. Faith stood and stared for a long time. She'd never imagined Maritza Cruz to be a religious person. Nor had she believed that Cruz actually ever cared about Bosco.

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Faith reentered the waiting area to find that Rose and Sully were the only ones left. "Where's Kim?" She questioned.

"She left with Jimmy just a few minutes ago." Sully replied as Faith walked over and sat beside him. "Rials and Jorgenson from the night shift will be standing guard tonight," he continued.

"Yeah, I saw them outside. I'm going to stay with Rose tonight as well." She announced.

"Yeah, that's what I figured. I talked to Lieu again and he's ok'ed Ty and myself for the dayshift tomorrow. Then that will leave you and Cruz for the third watch." "If that's alright?" Sully gave her a questioning look.

Faith bit her lip, but then shook her head. "Yeah, I guess that's ok." 'Oh Joy. I'll look forward to that like I would a root canal.' She added silently.

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As if she knew they were talking about her, Cruz entered the room. "How is he?" she inquired of Faith.

"Same as the doctor reported. Nothing has changed." Faith's answer was brief.

Sully rose to his feet. "I guess I'm going to go find Ty, and we'll head out. Sarg, are you ok with standing guard here tomorrow evening, rather than patrolling?"

"Sure" She replied.

Sully stepped over to Rose and took her small hand in his, patting it lightly with his other hand. "You hang in there, Mrs. Boscorelli. Bosco's as tough as they come. I'm sure he'll be ok."

"Thank you, Officer Sullivan." She responded and tried to force a small smile.

Sully turned to go to the door, but heard Cruz calling after him.

"Wait up, Sully. I think I'll go down and stay with Monroe for a while." She turned back to Rose Boscorelli. "Goodnight Mrs. Boscorelli. I'll see you tomorrow."


	9. Chapters 20 to 23

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters or places. I'm just borrowing them.

Collision Course, Chapter 20

Time: 6:00 AM, the morning after.

Kathy glanced up at the doorway to see a very weary Dr. Poole approaching. She had known Tim for a long time. He'd even asked her out once, but she didn't think it was such a good idea to date a coworker. His thick black hair was disheveled from a nap that was more than likely much too brief. He yawned as he entered the room.

"How is he?" he muttered.

"Not much change. His blood pressure's better. But his urine output is still a little low. He's been my least troublesome patient of the night though." Kathy answered.

"Are his morning labs back?" Tim questioned.

"Yes. They just came back." Kathy handed him the lab sheets.

He mulled over the labs for a few minutes; then sighed. "Well at least his blood counts are stable. His kidney definitely took a big hit though. Creatinine has doubled."

He dropped the paper back onto the bedside table and walked to Bosco's left side. Briefly he scanned the heart monitor and the ventilator. He checked the drainage from the chest tubes and abdominal wound, and glanced briefly at the foley bag. Then he looked at the patient himself. He pulled out a penlight and checked Bosco's pupils. He was pleased to see that they were reacting normally. He listened to his heart and his lungs. The left lung definitely sounded worse today. He checked his abdominal incision. He examined his cast on his left arm and then moved down to his feet. Pulling up the covers, he noticed that the toes on Bosco's left foot were still slightly cool, but the color was pretty good. He looked over at Kathy "Has he moved any during the night? Opened his eyes?"

"Not a peep." Kathy replied. She knew what Tim was about to do and she always hated to witness it.

Pulling his reflex hammer from his pocket, Tim placed the sharper edge over the knuckle on his patient's right great toe. Then he squeezed it down and twisted it. The response that he got was a feeble attempt by the officer to pull his foot away and a slight grimace on the officer's face. "That's encouraging," he announced, as he moved back up the bedside to Bosco's right. Putting his knuckle over Bosco's sternum, he dug in while he shouted, "OFFICER BOSCORELLI, CAN YOU OPEN YOUR EYES? MAURICE! OPEN YOUR EYES!"

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the original characters, but I do own Crabby.

Collision Course, Chapter 21

Putting his knuckle over Bosco's sternum, he dug in while he shouted, " OFFICER BOSCORELLI, CAN YOU OPEN YOUR EYES? MAURICE! OPEN YOUR EYES!"

Bosco grimaced once again, but this time the movement caused him to gag on the endotrachial tube and then he began to cough. His coughing set off the alarms on the ventilator as the machine tried to force air into Bosco's uncooperative lungs. This continued several seconds until the machine and Bosco's lungs became coordinated again. Then after several more seconds his face finally relaxed. During the entire time, he never opened his eyes. He seemed to squeeze them closed instead.

Dr. Poole stepped back and patted Bosco's arm. "Sorry buddy," he apologized; then he turned to Kathy. "It doesn't look like Officer Boscorelli wants to wake up and join us yet," he observed.

"After what he's been through in the last 24 hours, I can't say that I blame him." Kathy replied.

"Are you working tonight?" Tim questioned.

"Yes" she reported.

"Who's coming on today?" Tim inquired.

"I don't know everyone, but I think Nurse Crabby…. I mean Nurse Crabtree is going to be here." Kathy answered with a smirk.

"You're going to forget and call her that in front of a patient's family or even to her face if you don't stop that." Tim chided her, but could not hide his own grin.

"I'm sorry, but she's just so grumpy. I don't even know why she became a nurse." Kathy insisted.

"Oh, come on. She's actually not that bad. She's just from the old school." Tim tried to sound convincing.

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Faith looked up to see Sully entering the waiting room with Ty dragging behind him.

"You're late." She announced.

"Just 5 minutes." Sully answered. "I would have been on time if Junior here had gotten his butt in gear."

"Hey, old man. We would have been on time if you hadn't had to stop for donuts." Ty snapped back.

"And coffee. Don't forget the coffee." Sully admonished as he sat four steaming cups of coffee in front of Rose and Faith. "Enjoy, Ladies." Sully continued.

"There's only one thing I could think of that would hit the spot better than coffee right now." Rose uttered as she reached for a cup.

"What's that, Mrs. Boscorelli?" Sully questioned.

"A little hair on the dog." Rose responded, but then blushed as she realized what she'd said. What would Officer Sullivan think of her for saying such a thing?

Sully grinned. "There was a time when I would have said the same thing myself, Mrs. B."

Ty mumbled something about Sully being so cheerful this morning.

"Well, I guess we can see why you work the third watch." Faith snickered.

Ty glared at her. "Well, I might feel better if my partner had actually let me drink my coffee."

"Help yourself, Junior." Sully stepped back and pointed to one of the remaining coffees.

Ty grabbed a cup and stumbled across the room to a chair.

"Have you heard anything this morning?" Sully inquired more seriously.

"Yeah, the doctor came by earlier and then his nurse came by just a few minutes ago. Dr. Poole said that his heart rate and blood pressure are stable. His lung is worse, but his oxygen level is stable. That his kidney still isn't doing well, something about the creatinine being around 2 when it should not be over 1. And then the good news was that he is responsive to pain. I don't even want to imagine how they verify that." Faith finished with a forlorn look.

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Sasha awoke to the sound of retching coming from her bathroom. She looked around the room. The last thing she remembered was talking to Cruz the night before. She noticed Cruz's jacket lying on the back of a chair and a blanket lying in it. She looked back towards the bathroom door. "Sergeant, are you ok?" she asked as she slowly sat up in bed.

After a few seconds, Cruz finally replied. "I'm fine."

Sasha heard the toilet flush and then the sink running. In a few minutes, the door opened to reveal a very pale Cruz. "You don't look so good." Sasha observed.

"I'm fine. It's just been a long night. I haven't really had anything to eat since lunch yesterday. That's probably what's wrong." Cruz assured her.

"Well, in that case you're welcome to my lovely hospital breakfast." Sasha said with a smile as she pulled the cover off her breakfast tray.

Maritza took one look at the runny yellow hospital eggs and gagged. Turning, she ran back into the bathroom and slammed the door.

"Oops, sorry." Sasha muttered. After several more minutes of retching noises, Sasha heard the toilet flush again. Then she was distracted by the sound of a cell phone ringing. It sounded as if it were coming from Cruz's jacket. Sasha was afraid that it might be news about Bosco, so she climbed from the bed as fast as her stiff body would allow her and answered the phone.

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Maritza emerged from the bathroom to find Sasha on her cell phone. As she hung up, Cruz asked, "Who was that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It was ringing and I was afraid that it was news about Bosco."

"That's ok." Maritza replied.

"That was Officer Daley down at lockup. He said Michael Boscorelli was awake and making a scene. He wanted to know if you were coming to get him." Sasha answered with a questioning look.

"Oh, crap. I almost forgot about Mikey." Seeing the look on Sasha's face she continued. "I found him high yesterday and figured he should sleep it off before I brought him to the hospital. I figured the only sure way to keep him from getting more dope was to leave him in lockup." Cruz said and shrugged. "I guess I had better go get him."

"Are you sure you're ok, Sergeant? You look awfully pale." Sasha questioned her again.

"I'm fine!" Cruz snapped. When she realized how she'd said it she immediately apologized.

Sasha let the issue drop. "I'm going to go upstairs and check on Bosco." She reported as she pulled her uniform suit out of the drawer at the bedside table.

"Have you been discharged?" Cruz asked.

"Not yet, but they can send someone after me or call the waiting room when they are ready. I can't stay here any longer." Sasha replied.

"Well, tell Mrs. Boscorelli that we've found Mikey and I'm going to go get him." Cruz turned and headed for the door.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 22

Sasha slowly changed into her wrinkled uniform from the day before. As she did she noticed the large purple bruises across her chest and abdomen from the seat belt. Besides that, there was hardly a scratch on her. But every muscle in her body ached. She looked around briefly wondering what had happened to her gun belt, but then she remembered that the lieutenant had taken it back to the precinct. She straightened her shirt as much as possible, suddenly wishing that she had asked Cruz to bring her a change of clothes from her locker. Then she crept over to the door and peaked out. The only nurse at the desk was chattering on the phone. Sasha took the opportunity to make her escape.

When she arrived on the floor containing the intensive care units, she was surprised at how quiet it was. It was certainly nothing like the madhouse that Sergeant Cruz had described the night before. When she entered the ICU waiting area, she spotted Sully and Davis sitting off to one side with a middle-aged lady. She had never met Bosco's mom, but she assumed this must be her. She could see a lot of Bosco's features in her. They were actually built very similar, except for the lady being several inches shorter and slightly overweight. Sasha had to stifle a chuckle as she pictured a pudgy middle aged Bosco. She shook the thought from her mind and slowly approached the group. Davis was on his feet the minute he noticed her.

"Sasha, what are you doing up here? Have you been released this early?" Ty questioned with a look of concern.

"No, I haven't been released. I've escaped." Sasha quipped.

Sully laughed quietly, but Ty didn't find it funny. "What do you mean escaped? Should you be out of bed?"

"Ty, I'm fine. I don't need a mother." Sasha scolded.

"Have it your way." Ty turned and stalked away.

Sasha looked back at Sully. "What are you guys doing here in uniform?" Sasha asked.

"We're guarding Mrs. Boscorelli and the ICU from reporters." Sully replied with a satisfied look.

"What reporters? The whole floor looks deserted." Sasha pointed out.

"All those reporters that hospital security has refused to allow on this floor. They're all downstairs now. I guess we're just here in case some sneak past security. And of course were to make sure Mrs. Boscorelli has everything she needs and to keep the bosses informed." Sully reported, casting an eye in Rose's direction.

"I don't believe I've met Mrs. Boscorelli." Sasha turned towards Rose and extended a hand. "I'm Sasha Monroe, Mrs. Boscorelli. I'm Bosco's partner."

A preoccupied Rose finally glanced up at Sasha. "Oh, of course, dear. Maurice has told me all about you."

"Whatever he said, don't believe a word of it." Sasha kidded.

Rose smiled slightly. "It wasn't that bad." She replied.

Sasha suddenly became more serious as she knelt down in front of Rose. "Mrs. Boscorelli, I'm sorry about what happened. I mean, here I am walking around with barely a scratch, and ….. I'm so sorry." Sasha tried to continue, only to be interrupted by Rose.

"No, dear. Don't you say that. Maurice would never have wanted anyone else to be hurt. And neither would I. I'm glad your ok, Sasha." Rose assured her.

Sasha wiped at her eyes and then smiled at Rose. "Thank you, Mrs. Boscorelli. Oh, I almost forgot. Sergeant Cruz asked me to tell you that they located Mikey, and she's going to go pick him up."

"Oh, thank God." Rose answered, casting a glance heavenward.

XXXX

Faith wearily opened the door to her apartment. She was surprised to see that Emily was up this early on a Sunday morning. "Hey, Em. What are you doing?" she questioned.

"I was just waiting for you." Emily answered quietly.

"Really? Where's your dad and Charlie?" Faith asked.

"They went to an early church service to pray for Uncle Bosco." Emily replied sadly. She looked up at Faith and continued. "Dad says it's pretty bad." It was as much a question as a statement.

"Yeah, it is, Em." Faith confided as a small tear rolled down her cheek.

Emily leaned over to hug her mother. "Uncle B is tough, Mom. I'm sure he will be ok."

"I hope so, Em. I hope so." Faith muttered.

XXXX

Maritza Cruz strode up the stairs of the precinct and into the lock up area. She could hear Michael Boscorelli cursing everyone and everything. Entering the area, she looked at him with contempt.

Recognizing her from the night before, Mikey directed his anger towards Cruz. "WELL, IT'S ABOUT TIME, TWO BAGS!"

"Shut your mouth, Mikey." Cruz ordered.

"Really, who's going to make me?" Mikey taunted. "This moron, Officer Daley, can't even tell me why I'm arrested. And what are you going to do?" Mikey continued.

"There are no charges." Cruz answered calmly. She walked over and opened the door to the cell, tossing a sack into Mikey's hands. "Follow me." Turning, she headed toward the locker room. The day shift had already started patrol, so the locker room should be empty.

Mikey followed, but continued to complain. "Where are we going? What's going on?"

Cruz stopped outside the shower area and pointed. "Get cleaned up and put those clothes on." She pointed again to the bag she'd handed him.

Mikey looked at her in disbelief, then asked again. "What's going on, Cruz?"

"Just do it Mikey, so I can take you to the hospital." Cruz sighed.

"The hospital. Why the hospital?" Mikey looked confused, then suddenly worried. "Did something happen to my Ma?" He questioned quietly.

"No, your mother's fine, Mikey. But your brother is in the ICU fighting for his life. If you hadn't been high last night, you might have known about it." Cruz' voice rose with every sentence she spoke.

"Moe?" Mikey questioned.

Disclaimer: I don't own the original characters or places. But I do own Crabby. HEHEHE

Collision Course, Chapter 23

Rose paced back and forth in the waiting room wondering what shape Mikey would be in when he arrived. He had been avoiding her lately and she knew that meant that he was using again. She looked up when she heard the door open and saw Mikey entering with Sergeant Cruz behind him. To her surprise, his clothes looked clean - even new. His hair was a bit disheveled, but appeared freshly washed. For a moment she hoped that he wasn't using. But when he came closer she noticed the dark circles under his eyes and how tired he looked. He was extremely thin and his jeans hung loosely on his hips. She supposed that she could thank Sergeant Cruz for cleaning him up before bringing him here. She cast Cruz a slight smile. Then she bit her lip to restrain herself from scolding Michael. Now wasn't the time.

"Ma, I didn't know or I would have been here. How is he?" Mikey sputtered nervously.

XXXX

Sully sat staring at the clock on the wall as Ty read a book. Cruz had taken Sasha back downstairs to be discharged and then home. Sully glanced over to where Mikey sat beside Rose, holding her hand. Sully could tell with one look that the kid was using heavily. He shook his head slightly in disbelief. No wonder Bosco had problems. His whole family was screwed up. Well maybe not Mrs. Boscorelli, but then again she had made that comment about the coffee. When Sully thought about it, he was amazed that Bosco had turned out as well as he had. Despite Bosco's annoying attitude and their constant bantering, Sully realized that he considered Bosco a friend. And that was something, coming from a man who didn't really have many friends. Sure he had plenty of acquaintances but very few real friends. Sully was distracted from his thoughts by the sound of one of the ICU workers announcing that it was the 10:00AM visiting hour. He wasn't sure why they called it the visiting hour since it was only 20 minutes, but whatever. He watched as Rose and Mikey headed toward the door.

XXXX

Rose felt Mikey hesitate as they approached the door to Maurice's room. She had tried to prepare him before they entered. But she knew from her own experience the night before that no words could prepare you to see a loved one in this condition. She squeezed Mikey's hand to reassure him, and then continued on.

As they approached the bedside she noted a gray haired nurse with a disgruntled look on her face. "I'll be outside." The nurse grumbled and made her way to the door.

'Crabby old bitty.' Rose thought as the woman passed.

Rose turned back to Mikey to see him starring at his brother as tears welled up in his eyes. He swallowed dryly and stepped up to the bedside. Rose moved up to Mikey's left side and glanced at Maurice's face. The bruises were a deeper purple. She looked more closely and noticed that his forehead was wrinkled slightly and his face seemed tense. She pulled the cover back searching for his hand. When she found it, she held it with one hand and rubbed his arm with the other. "Maurice?" She almost whispered. "Maurice, baby, it's your Ma and Mikey is here." She moved her hand up to his shoulder in an effort to comfort him as he appeared to be in pain. "Maurice, it's alright baby. Just relax." She soothed. The frown on his face seemed to increase. She turned and went to find the nurse.

XXXX

When his mother turned and left, Mikey moved up closer to Maurice. He placed his hand over his brother's arm as silent tears trickled down his cheeks. "Moe? It's Mikey. It's ok, Moe. You're gonna be fine. You just hang in there. Please, Moe. Ma needs you." He sniffed, then added quietly "I need you, Moe."

XXXX

Rose approached the nurse, but had to clear her throat to get her attention. "Um, Nurse?"

"Crabtree." The woman announced. "Nurse Crabtree."

'How fitting.'Rose mused. "Yes. Nurse Crabtree, Maurice looks like he's in pain."

"Well, what do you expect with his injuries?" Nurse Crabtree replied gruffly.

Rose felt her cheeks getting red hot with anger. "Well, doesn't he have anything ordered for pain?" She demanded.

Nurse Crabtree abruptly arose and went back into the room. She strolled up to the medication pump and pushed several buttons. Then without a word, she huffed back to her chair outside of the room.


	10. Chapters 2426

Disclaimer: I do not own the original characters or places, but oh how I wish I did.

For those who are worried about me abandoning this fic, worry not. I'm already working on chapter 78. I just haven't had time to combine these and edit them. I know…I know…I'll try to do better.

Collision Course, Chapter 24

XXXX

Sully looked up, surprised to see Rose Boscorelli charging out of the ICU and through the waiting area into the hall with Mikey close behind her. Assuming that something had gone terribly wrong with Bosco, he hurriedly followed them out. What he saw in the hallway was an even greater shock. Rose Boscorelli paced back and forth, ranting about some Nurse Crabtree. Her face was beet red. And she wasn't being very selective with her language, causing Sully's face to redden as well. Now he knew where Bosco got his temper and a few of the choice words that he sometimes used. Michael Boscorelli followed behind her trying to calm her down.

"Ma, take it easy. Whatever she said, it couldn't have been that bad." Mikey urged her.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE SAID, MICHAEL! HOW DARE SHE SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT?" Rose shouted as she turned and shook her finger in Mikey's face. The young man took a step back and threw his hands up.

"Just calm down, Ma. You're making a scene. And your blood pressure will be up. Do you want to have a stroke?" Mikey questioned.

Rose rubbed her forehead as she began to pace once again. She had been too shocked at the nurse's response initially to know how to react. But then the more she thought about it, the madder she became.

"How could she say that? How?" She muttered over and over again. "How could she say that about my baby?" She turned back once again into Mikey. "How?" She questioned, as her lips began to tremble.

"I don't know, Ma. Please, just calm down." Mikey whispered, as he put one hand on each of her arms. At his touch, Rose crumbled. Soon the two were sitting in the hallway floor with Rose clinging to Mikey's shirt as she sobbed. Mikey hugged her close with one arm while he patted her back with the other, tears running down his own cheeks.

Sully watched from a distance, still unsure of what exactly had happened. After several minutes, Rose's shaking form began to calm. And Mikey looked up at him as if silently asking for help.

Sully approached them slowly and squatted down beside the two. "Mrs. Boscorelli?" Sully questioned softly. "Why don't you let me help you up? There's a chair right over here." Sully continued.

Rose gave Sully a bewildered look, then looked away as she realized that Officer Sullivan had witnessed her entire tirade and then her breakdown. "Call me Rose." She mumbled.

"What?" Sully asked.

"Call me Rose. My name is Rose." She uttered softly as she reached up to give Sully her hand.

"Ok then, Rose it is." Sully replied. "And you can call me John." He added as he lifted her up and, with Mikey's help, led her over to a chair beside the wall.

"I'm sorry." Rose almost whispered, looking somewhat ashamed.

"That's alright." Sully answered. "It's quite understandable." He paused. "Look, Mrs.Bosc…. I mean Rose. You've been here all night and you're exhausted. Why don't you go home for a few hours and rest? Officer Davis and I will be here all day, and then Faith and Sergeant Cruz will be here." When Rose looked up as if to protest, Sully added, "And we'll call you if there is any change at all. I promise."

Mikey joined in, "He's right, Ma. You do look exhausted. And you aren't going to help Moe any by making yourself sick."

Rose looked back up at Mikey and then at John Sullivan. Finally she sighed. "I guess you're right. I could use a little sleep." Looking back at Sully she continued. "Will you go back and check on him during the visiting hour? And do call me if there is any change, please."

"Of course we will. Don't you worry about a thing, Rose." Sully assured her.

XXXX

Anthony Boscorelli was startled by the ringing from his doorbell. He had been watching the news update on his son's condition once again. He placed the remote on the coffee table and went to the door. He opened it to find his youngest son standing with downcast eyes. Opening the door further, he moved back to let Michael in. Mikey plopped down on the couch and Anthony sat down in the recliner to the side.

After a minute or two of silence, Mikey finally spoke. "How did you do it, Dad?" Mikey questioned.

"Do what?" his father replied.

"How did you stop drinking after all those years? You've been clean, what ? Almost 3 years now?" Mikey implored.

"Three and a half." Anthony corrected him. "And I don't know how. I just finally decided I had hurt enough people, including myself. Or maybe the Man up stairs just decided to bless me. I don't know."

"Does Moe know, Dad?" When Anthony gave him a questioning look, he continued. "Does Moe know that you quit drinking?"

"I don't know. I haven't really talked to him since then, unless you count one cab ride. And then, I didn't really talk. I didn't think he would care that I'd stopped. Figured it was too late to make a difference." Anthony said quietly.

"It's bad, Dad. Real bad."

"That's what the news said." Anthony replied. "How is your mother handling it?"

"She's a wreck. I took her home to rest. She took a couple of shots of Vodka and was out like a light." Mikey reported grimly.

Anthony looked down at the floor. 'Yet another life I managed to ruin.' He looked back up at Mikey. "Who's at the hospital now?" He questioned.

"Officer Sullivan and an Officer Davis, two of his coworkers," Mikey answered, then added, "Ma's not going back until later this evening. The next visiting hour is at 2:00 PM."

Anthony glanced up at the clock on his wall, which read 1:15.

XXXX

Collision Course, Chapter 25

XXXX

"You going back there?" Ty asked Sully just after the 2:00 PM visiting hour was announced.

"I guess so. I promised Rose I'd check on him." Sully answered.

Ty gave Sully a quizzical look, wondering when he'd come to be on a first name basis with Bosco's mother.

"You coming?" Sully questioned as he stood.

"Uh, no. No, I don't think so, Sul." Ty replied hesitantly.

"That's ok. I'm not going to stay long." Sully announced as he walked toward the ICU.

When he approached Bosco's room, Sully's pace slowed. He wasn't sure that he was ready to see Bosco so helpless. Bosco was one of the toughest little guys Sully had ever known. He sighed and trudged ahead.

As he walked into the room, he noticed a gruff looking nurse exiting. "How is he?" Sully questioned.

"No change." The nurse spat and kept walking.

'Must be the infamous Nurse Crabtree.' Sully took another few steps and stopped just beside Bosco's hospital bed. He stood with his arms crossed, rocking back and forth slightly on his heels, studying Bosco. Except for the bruises on his face, the casted arm propped up on a pillow, and of course the breathing tube, Bosco looked almost as if he were just asleep.

Feeling a bit silly just standing and staring at Bosco, Sully finally cleared his throat. "Hey little man. That was some stunt you pulled out there yesterday. You've got the whole city in an uproar." Sully paused, then started again "Your mom will be back in a little while. She just went home to rest for a bit. Davis and I will be right outside. So you just relax and try to get better, ok."

Sully's ramblings were interrupted by Nurse Crabtree squabbling with another potential visitor. "You can't go in there. You're not on the list." She insisted.

"What list? I'm his father." Anthony Boscorelli argued.

"Any bum off the street could come in and say something like that. We have a specific list of visitors who are allowed to see Officer Boscorelli and you are not on it." Crabtree rebuked as she pointed to a paper on her clipboard.

"Well there must be some mistake. Can you check again?" Anthony asked. Surely Rose didn't hate him enough to do such a thing intentionally.

"He's ok, Nurse Crabtree." Sully interrupted.

"But he's not on the list." Crabby insisted again.

"Well, that was an accident. I can vouch for him. He is Officer Boscorelli's father. His mother sent me to notify him yesterday." Sully continued.

Crabby gave Anthony a scornful look. "You've got 10 minutes." she huffed as she walked away.

Sully took a step toward Anthony Boscorelli and towered over him. "Don't make me regret this," he warned, before he turned toward the waiting area.

XXXX

Anthony Boscorelli stood beside the hospital bed and stared down at his oldest son, a sense of unease growing. Seeing the bruises on his face reminded Anthony of all the beatings he had given him in the past. For years, he thought that Maurice was just a defiant brat. And he had attempted to beat that defiance out of him on several occasions. Now Anthony realized that the defiant brat was just a scared child trying to protect his mother, the same way he had protected those children playing in the park yesterday. .

Looking at the cast on Maurice's left arm, Anthony tried to remember if that was the arm he had broken when Maurice was twelve. That particular incident was one of the worst. Maurice had had a concussion, the broken arm, and three broken ribs. Anthony was afraid he was going to have to do jail time for that one. Sometimes he wished he had. Maybe he would have gotten his life together in time to save his family.

Anthony hesitantly placed his hand over his son's hand as his mind wandered. He remembered when Maurice was a toddler. He'd hold on to Anthony's index finger with his tiny hand and walk along beside his father on his tiptoes. Those were good days. Maurice had adored him. When he'd come home from work, Maurice would be waiting at the door with a toy or a book. 'What was that little book he loved? _The Animal Bus?' _He smiled, remembering how Maurice would always quote that one line with him. Now he struggled to remember it. 'It comes when it comes and it goes when it goes, and when it will be nobody knows?' What Anthony would give to go back to those days, to have another chance. But he'd thought more of the booze, gambling, and women, than he had of his family.

Anthony swallowed hard, trying to control his emotions. He squeezed his son's hand as he spoke with a shaky voice, "I'm sorry, Maurice."

XXXX

Collision Course, Chapter 26

XXXX

Faith and Cruz sat across from each other in the waiting area, both looking everywhere except at the other person. Rose had called a few minutes ago to say that there was a problem at the bar that she had to straighten out before she could return, so she'd probably miss the 6:00PM visiting hour. She was pretty upset about it, but Faith had assured her that they would go back and visit him. When the announcement of the visiting hour was made overhead, Faith and Cruz sat and stared at each other.

"Why don't you go ahead?" Faith suggested after some hesitation.

Cruz looked a bit surprised at the offer, but a part of her was relieved. She couldn't imagine visiting Bosco alongside Yokas. "Sure." She replied and headed into the ICU.

Maritza noted the gray haired nurse sitting outside Bosco's room as she approached, assuming that she must be Nurse Crabtree that Sully had warned them about. Cruz passed her without a second look.

She walked over to the side of the bed, took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She hesitantly traced her fingertips down Bosco's right forearm. When she reached his hand, she interlocked her pinky with his. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Bosco?" She almost whispered. "It's Ritza." She ran the back of the fingers of her left hand along his jaw line, then rested her hand on his shoulder. She frowned as she realized how warm he was.

As if summoned, Nurse Crabtree entered the room, circling around the bed to check and record the output on the drains and from the foley.

"Does he have fever?" Cruz asked with concern.

"Yes, but that's not unexpected. It's quite common after surgery." Crabtree informed her and hurriedly went about her work.

Cruz turned back to Bosco. Leaning over him, she spoke. "Bosco, I know you can hear me. You have to fight, Bosco. We're all here for you, but you have to fight."

XXXX

Faith looked up to see Cruz exiting the ICU with a look of concern on her face.

"What's wrong?" Faith questioned.

"He has a fever." Cruz answered. "But the nurse says that's to be expected."

Faith frowned as well. Cruz continued, "You going back?"

Faith hesitated. "No, I don't think so." When Cruz gave her a questioning look, she continued with an accusing tone. "We haven't exactly been on the greatest terms over the last few months, in case you haven't noticed."

Cruz opened her mouth to speak, but held her tongue. After giving herself a moment to calm down, she began again. "Look, Yokas. I don't care if you hate me or not. I'm not exactly fond of you either. But Bosco is going to need all the support we can give him to get through this. So don't take this out on him. I made some really stupid decisions that put Bosco in a tough position. But he never meant to hurt you. For reasons that I'll never understand, he cares about you and he's gonna need you."

Faith gave Cruz a bewildered look, then replied. "We all made stupid decisions, but that doesn't matter. Bosco tried to fix things and I turned him away. Why would he want me in there now?"

"Oh, get over it, Yokas! Bosco has always said that he learned a lot from you. Maybe it's time to take a few lessons from him, like how to forgive and forget. Do you know what the last thing he said in that bus was? Just before he lost consciousness he asked me where you were. He needed you and he didn't care what had happened in the last year." Cruz retorted, then turned and walked away.

An astonished Faith stared at Cruz's retreating figure, then looked back toward the ICU.

XXXX

Taking Bosco's hand in hers, Faith leaned over the bed towards him. "Bosco? Bos, it's Faith. I don't know if you can hear me." Faith swallowed back tears. "I'm sorry, Bos. I'm sorry for so many things. I wanted to accept your apology and to apologize myself, but I was so stubborn. Please, Bos, you have to hang in there and get better. Don't give up on us, Bos."

XXXX

Disclaimer # 2: The book I'm referring to is _The Animals' Bus Ride_ by Helen Wing. The quote is not exact, just paraphrased from memory. I do not own _The Animals' Bus Ride. _But I do own a copy of it, somewhere.


	11. Chapters 2729

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters or places, just this storyline.

Collision Course, Chapter 27

XXXX

Kathy nodded goodbye to Nurse Crabtree and then turned back toward her patient. Crabby had given her a brief update that nothing had changed and there were no new orders. Kathy sighed. She had hoped that Officer Boscorelli would wake up today.

As she approached the bed, Kathy glanced up at the heart monitor. His heart rate was 120, which was significantly higher than when she left this morning. She also noticed that his oxygen level had dropped from 98 to 94. His blood pressure was actually up a bit from when she'd left this morning. Maybe that was a good sign.

Kathy continued with her assessment, first checking the ventilator settings. Then she checked the IV bags to make sure everything was in order. She looked at the pump for the sedative and the pain medication. She was surprised to see that the sedative dose had been tripled, but the pain medication had not been changed.

She looked over at the wounded officer who was resting quietly, oblivious to her presence. Looking more closely she noticed tiny beads of sweat along his forehead. The edges of his hair were damp causing them to curl slightly. She frowned as she placed the back of her hand along his forehead. He definitely had fever. Turning, she walked over to the bedside table to review the nursing flow sheet. The flow sheet documented that Nurse Crabtree had increased his sedative at 10:10 AM and again at 5:45 PM, which was just before the last visiting hour. It documented a temperature of 100.9 degrees at 5:00PM and the increase in his heart rate that seemed to correlate with this. But there was no evidence of any tylenol being given.

Kathy frowned once again as she turned back to her patient and placed the temperature probe under his right arm. She watched as it continued to rise and then she added an extra point to the final number. She sighed as she documented the temperature of 102 degrees. She hurriedly finished her assessment of her patient. Then after giving him a dose of tylenol through his nasogastric tube, she called the doctor covering for the ICU. He ordered blood and urine cultures and a chest x-ray, saying that he would come down to check on him when he got the chance.

Kathy handed the orders to the night clerk. Then she returned to further assess her patient. "Officer Boscorelli?" she chirped as she tapped on his chest with her hand. "Officer Boscorelli, open your eyes." "MAURICE!" The officer didn't respond. "Well it doesn't look like you need this much sedation." She reported as she reached over and turned the sedative back to its original setting. Unlike some of the nurses whose names she wouldn't mention, she didn't believe in keeping her patients snowed to the point that they couldn't respond. And she hoped for Officer Boscorelli's sake that he was snowed and not still that deeply unconscious.

XXXX

It was just after 9:00 when Dr. Waters came in to assess Bosco. After completing his exam, he turned back to Kathy. "Did his temp come down?" he questioned.

"It's still 101." Kathy answered, handing him the flow sheet.

He studied the flow sheet, then looked up as Kathy pointed out that Bosco's oxygen levels were trending down. "I'm not surprised." Dr. Waters replied. "His left lung looks terrible on the chest x-ray. But that's to be expected with the contusion. His right lung also may have some scarring in the base. Do you know if he's had any lung problems before? Pneumonia or Asthma?" He questioned.

"No, I don't know. From what I understood he was pretty healthy before this. His family is probably still outside though, if you want to ask them." Kathy replied.

"I guess I should talk to them. Can you step out and introduce me to them?" Dr. Waters inquired.

"Sure, Judy can keep an eye on him." Kathy said as she followed Dr.Waters out of the room.

XXXX

Faith watched in disbelief as Maritza Cruz devoured a large chocolate sundae. It had only been a few hours since she had eaten a double cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. Faith wondered how she could be so thin and eat like that. But then again, she did look as if she had put on a few pounds.

Faith's thoughts were interrupted by the opening of the ICU doors. She looked up to see Bosco's nurse from the night before and a doctor approaching them.

"Is something wrong?" Rose asked as she jumped up. Faith and Cruz stepped up beside her.

"Mrs. Boscorelli, this is Dr. Waters. He's the doctor covering the ICU and he just wants to ask you a few questions." Kathy assured her.

"What's wrong with Maurice?" Rose asked in a panic.

"He just has a bit of a fever." Dr. Waters answered, drawing Rose's attention. "It's not all that uncommon after a major accident like this, but I wanted to clarify a few things."

"What things?" Rose questioned.

"Well, Maurice has some changes on his chest x-ray. Some of them are expected from the injury to his left lung, but he also has some scarring in the right lung." Dr. Waters explained. "I just wanted to know if he'd ever had pneumonia or asthma?"

"No, Maurice has never really been sick. He's been reckless and accident prone, but never anything like that." Rose answered.

"He did have a cough for a while after 911." Faith reported.

Dr. Waters looked at her curiously. "Did he spend a lot of time at the site? Around the dust, I mean."

"He was actually down there when the buildings collapsed." Maritza Cruz reported. "So yeah, he inhaled a lot of the dust."

Faith looked at Cruz in astonishment, as did Rose. The remainder of the conversation was lost to Faith. 'How did Cruz know that?' she pondered. She had assumed that Bosco had never told anyone about those horrible moments besides herself and maybe his therapist.

Rose finally regained her voice. "Maurice never told me that he was at the site that day. I knew he had helped with the cleanup. But he never told me he was there."

"Well that certainly could explain the changes we're seeing." Dr. Waters replied. "I'm going to add another antibiotic to his medications and we've done some cultures. Kathy will let you know if there is any change." Dr. Waters smiled at them, then turned back toward the ICU. Rose followed alongside Kathy asking her further questions.

Cruz looked up to see Faith staring at her. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing." Faith answered. "I … I just didn't know that Bos had told anyone else about 911." Faith muttered.

"Why does everyone have such a hard time believing that there was more to our relationship than just physical attraction?" Cruz scowled and stalked away.

XXXX

Collision Course, Chapter 28

XXXX

Kathy looked at the clock to see that it was almost midnight. Mrs. Boscorelli had come in to visit at 10:00PM. She had held her son's hand and talked to him as she smoothed his damp hair back from his forehead. Kathy was afraid she was going to have to ask her to leave, but Mrs. Boscorelli finally said a tearful goodbye just as the visiting time was ending. Afterward, Kathy and Sam, one of the male orderlies, had given him a bath. His fever had finally come down with that. Still he hadn't stirred.

Kathy smiled as Marge, the respiratory therapist for the night, entered the room. Marge was a tall redhead, a bit overweight, with a booming voice and an upbeat attitude. Kathy was always glad to see her coming, but the patients usually were not. "Hey Kathy. How are you doing?" Marge inquired.

"I'm doing fine. All is quiet so far." Kathy replied.

Marge walked over to Bosco's bedside. "Oh, he's a cutie." She chuckled. "Officer Boscorelli, it's time for a little hyperinflation and suctioning," she announced as she unhooked the ventilator from the ET tube and hooked the large blue ambu bag to it. She squeezed the bag tightly several times to fully expand Bosco's lungs. As she did, Bosco frowned and crinkled his forehead. "Oh, you don't like that. Do you? Well, I doubt you are going to like this either. Sorry." She unhooked the ambu bag and ran a long suction catheter down the ET tube. As the tip of the catheter passed through the breathing tube and touched the fragile surface of Bosco's airway, he began to cough violently. Placing her finger over the hole in the catheter to create a suction, Marge then pulled the catheter back helping clear the secretions from Bosco's lungs. She did this several more times causing Bosco to continue to cough and then gasp for breath. The frown on his face increased until finally his eyes fluttered open.

Marge looked down to see deep blue eyes staring up at her. "Welcome back, Officer Boscorelli." She boomed. At that, Bosco squeezed his eyes closed again and wrinkled his now reddened face as he continued with his coughing spell. Finally, Marge abandoned her suctioning attempts and reattached the ventilator to the tube. She patted him on the shoulder and apologized again. "Sorry, I know that's no fun. But it is necessary."

XXXX

Kathy snapped to attention when she heard what Marge had said to her patient. She hurried to the other side of the bed just in time to see his eyes close again. Once Marge had finished and reconnected the ventilator, Kathy watched Bosco closely. He continued to cough against the machine intermittently and his face continued to be tense. She circled back around to his right side.

After giving him a few minutes to calm down, she called out to him. "Officer Boscorelli? Officer Boscorelli! Open your eyes for me!" When he didn't respond, she reached out and dug her knuckle into his sternum. "Officer Boscorelli, open your eyes!" To her delight, he did open his eyes, although he stared blankly ahead and the frown reappeared on his face. She placed two of her fingers in his right hand. "Officer Boscorelli, squeeze my fingers. Squeeze my fingers, Officer Boscorelli." Bosco coughed slightly and grimaced, but failed to obey the command. Kathy decided to try another approach. "Maurice, you're in the hospital at Mercy. Can you hear me? Wiggle your toes for me if you can hear me," she commanded as she pulled the sheet back to uncover his foot. Tapping his right leg, she repeated, "Wiggle your toes for me, Maurice." Nothing.

Kathy moved back to the head of the bed to study his face. His eyes were still slightly open, but every time the ventilator triggered to give him a breath he would grimace and squeeze his eyes closed. He coughed weakly and grimaced once again. Looking more closely, Kathy noticed the trail of a lone tear down the side of his face. "It's ok, Officer. You're in the hospital, but you're going to be ok. I'm going to give you some more pain medication, ok." She turned to the pump controlling the pain medicine and gave him an extra dose before turning up the hourly rate. She turned back to Bosco and patted him on the arm. "There, now. You're going to be feeling better in just a few minutes."

Kathy stood at the bedside watching him, until his face relaxed and his eyes started to close. She was happy to be able to provide him some relief. She realized that this man was a hero, not once but twice from what his friends had said. And for the first time in a long time, she felt satisfaction in the job that she did. This is why she had become a nurse.

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Collision Course, Chapter 29

XXXX

Kathy sat outside of Bosco's room catching up with her charting. His temperature had been up again, but not as high as before. His oxygen level had remained stable. His heart rate had improved. His urine output, however, was still much less than it should be.

When she finished charting his latest vitals, she glanced up into the room. To her surprise, her patient had his right leg bent with his knee up in the air. Excited that he had moved, she hurried to the bedside to see if he was awake. As she approached she noticed that he had part of the sheet balled up in his right hand. She studied him for a moment noticing the slight crease in his forehead. "Officer Boscorelli?"

Bosco's eyes popped open and he tried to turn toward the voice. When he moved, the ET tube shifted causing him to cough. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them once again. When he did, he was looking up into the face of a cute little blond. For a minute he thought she might be an angel. But this couldn't be Heaven. There was no pain in Heaven, and his chest felt like it was on fire. Actually there wasn't much of his body that didn't hurt. Then he heard the blond tell him that he was at Mercy, that her name was Kathy, and that she was his nurse. _'Mercy? What in the world did I do this time? Whatever it was must have been bad to cause this much pain. Great, Swersky will probably put another CD in my folder.' _He opened his mouth to ask Kathy what happened. But when he did, he gagged on the ET tube, which caused another episode of furious coughing.

"It's ok, Officer Boscorelli. Don't try to talk. That tube is there to help you breath." Kathy gently pulled the sheet from Bosco's hand and replaced it with her fingers. "Officer Boscorelli, squeeze my hand if you understand me." She was happy to feel his grip tighten on her fingers. "Good, that's good. Now, can you wiggle your toes for me?" she asked and again pulled the sheet back. Bosco stretched his leg out and then wiggled the toes on his right foot. He tried to wiggle those on the left foot and frowned when he had difficulty. "That's ok. Your leg is in a cast so that one is a little difficult." Pulling the sheet back down, she tucked it under the mattress.

Kathy looked back up just in time to see Bosco's right hand moving up toward the ET tube. "Oh, NO!" She shouted as she managed to grab his hand just in time. Bosco frowned at her. "You can't pull on that. It's helping you breath." She realized that the wrist restraint had never been tied down because he hadn't moved up until this point. She quickly tied the restraint to the bed frame, leaving just enough slack for him to move his arm slightly, but not enough for him to reach anything important. She glanced back up into his weary blue eyes to see them slowly closing once again. "You just relax now and rest."

XXXX

Around 5:00 AM Marge came back around. "Sorry, I'm running a little behind. How's our little man doing?" she asked.

"He actually woke up earlier and followed commands. He's been a little restless since. His heart rate keeps going up and down. I think maybe he's dreaming." Kathy replied.

"Officer Boscorelli?" Marge called as she tapped Bosco on the shoulder. He pulled his shoulder away slightly but refused to open his eyes. "Officer Boscorelli, it's time to suction you." Marge warned and she started again the process of inflating his lungs and suctioning him.

XXXX

Bosco was too caught up in his nightmare to respond to Marge calling him. In his own mind he was lying on the ground after taking another beating. Faces from his past kept flashing in front of him. His father screaming that he was useless just before he took another swing at him. The crazy man, who shot his own family, yelling at him as he slammed him in the door over and over. And finally, Glennie Hobart wrapping his forearm around his throat and cutting off his air supply. _'Stop. Please stop. I'm sorry.' _Bosco struggled to escape but he couldn't move his arm. He tried to twist away to no avail and panic set in. He struggled with all his might despite the pain that it caused him. _'Help me, please. Somebody help me.' _

XXXX

Marge could tell that her patient was not at all pleased with the hyperinflation, but she was surprised at his reaction to her attempts to suction him. He completely lost it. He jerked his head to the side in an effort to escape. He yanked his right arm over and over trying to get free and grabbing at her in the process. Somehow he even managed to get his right leg up almost high enough to knee her. And when Kathy tried to help, he kicked her in the shoulder. Even in his weakened state, he almost knocked her down.

Once she recovered, Kathy looked up at the monitor to see Bosco's heart rate racing. His oxygen level had dropped as well to 90. Marge had abandoned her suctioning attempt and had hooked him back up to the ventilator. Still he fought, shaking his head from side to side and coughing violently against the machine causing it to alarm over and over.

Dr. Poole walked in just in time to see Kathy reaching again for the officer's flailing leg. "What's going on in here?" he questioned as he watched the heart monitor and the two women struggling with his patient.

"I was just trying to suction him." Marge insisted.

Kathy, who was now lying over Bosco's leg to hold it down, looked up at Tim and pointed. "Hand me that other restraint! NOW!"

The young doctor did as ordered, smiling at the exasperated look on Kathy's face. "I see that Officer Boscorelli is a little more responsive this morning."

"This is not funny. He was fine two hours ago, calm and following commands. I don't know what's wrong with him."

Tim saw the concern on Kathy's face and approached the bedside. He listened to Bosco's heart and lungs making sure that the ET tube was in the right place. It seemed to be ok. "Officer Boscorelli, calm down. You need to calm down. Don't fight the machine."

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Disclaimer #2 – I do not own tylenol.


	12. Chapters 30 to 31

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places, but I do own this story line.

Collision Course, Chapter 30

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DAY 7, 6:40AM

Kathy yawned as she made her way into Mercy. She had not expected to be working until tonight. She had the previous two nights off and had gone upstate to visit a friend. But she had turned her cell phone back on as she entered the city last night and it rang almost immediately. She was surprised when the unit supervisor asked her if she could come in this morning. Apparently there had been a problem with Nurse Crabtree and she had been dismissed. An agency nurse had been found to work the night shift, but Dr. Poole had asked specifically for Kathy to work with Officer Boscorelli during the dayshift. The supervisor had been very vague regarding the circumstances of Nurse Crabtree's dismissal and Dr. Poole's request, so Kathy could only imagine what she would find when she arrived on the unit.

She thought back to four mornings ago when Officer Boscorelli had become so combative. They had finally had to sedate him heavily to calm him down. They had found out later from his mother and ex-partner #1, Faith, that he had had nightmares for years and had suffered from panic attacks after 9-11. In hindsight, they realized that he was probably having nightmares that night, and Marge suctioning him had caused him to panic.

The next two days afterward had been a constant battle. Every time they had allowed the officer to wake up, he was instantly in panic mode. He struggled against the ventilator and against the restraints. His heart raced and his oxygen levels dropped. Finally, they would have to sedate him again. And although his fever had resolved and his lungs seemed to be improving, his kidney function continued to worsen. When Kathy left two mornings ago, Dr. Poole and the kidney specialist were debating whether to hold off another day on dialysis or start it that day.

XXXX

The elevator doors finally opened and Kathy made her way into the unit. She glanced into Bosco's room. He was still on the ventilator and was resting quietly. She nodded to Christine, one of the other nurses. "How are things going?" she asked, glancing back toward the patient.

"Quiet night." Christine replied.

"What have I missed in the last couple of days?" Kathy dreaded the answer.

"Well, he was dialyzed two days ago and should be again today. They held his sedative yesterday because they couldn't wake him up. They even had the neurologist see him. He had a CT of his head, but it was normal. They think that the drugs are hanging around longer with the kidney failure. Hopefully that's the case." Christine informed her.

"What about his breathing?" Kathy questioned.

"It's been pretty stable and his chest x-ray is improving. They pulled one of the chest tubes along with the abdominal drain. Apparently if we can get him awake and keep him calm long enough, Dr.Poole thinks we may be able to wean him from the vent soon." Christine replied hopefully.

"What happened with Nurse Crabtree?" Kathy asked finally.

"You had better talk to Shelly about that." Christine suggested.

XXXX

Kathy's suspicions had proven to be right. Crabby's dismissal was connected to Officer Boscorelli. Apparently, Dr. Poole had given orders a couple of days ago to limit the amount of sedation the officer received. He requested specifically to be called if more sedation was needed, so he could examine the patient first if he was available. He wanted the nurses to try to use other methods to keep the officer calm in hopes that he could be weaned from the ventilator. Apparently Crabby disagreed with this approach. She had given the young officer two fairly large doses of the sedative and written it as a verbal order from Dr. Poole, although she had not contacted him. Tim had been in surgery at the time and was furious when he saw the orders on his evening rounds. He was even more furious when Officer Boscorelli was still unresponsive almost twenty-four hours later. He had gone to the nursing and hospital administration and had Nurse Crabtree relieved of duty, at least temporarily. Her long-term fate was still to be decided. Unfortunately, Officer Boscorelli's fate was still undecided as well.

Kathy sighed as she looked up from her charting. Jill, the dialysis nurse, was just getting her machine hooked up to the large IV catheter that had been placed in the femoral vein in the officer's right leg.

XXXX

Rose Boscorelli sat in the hospital cafeteria sipping at her coffee while deep in thought. This had been her routine for several days now. She would come into the hospital early so that she could get an update from Dr. Poole after his morning rounds. Then she would come down to the cafeteria for breakfast while she waited for the 10:00 AM visiting hour to begin. More mornings than not, she had a companion for breakfast. Today was no different. His gruff but gentle voice brought her from her thoughts.

"What did Dr. Poole have to say this morning?" Sully questioned.

"Nothing really. There was no change overnight. He's still not really responsive. They're going to do dialysis again this morning. He did say that Kathy, that sweet little blond nurse, was going to be taking care of him today." Rose rambled.

Sully was unsure of what to say to Rose. She seemed much more distant this morning than usual. "How are you doing this morning?" he asked.

Rose shrugged. "I've had better days. Michael was out all night last night, still hadn't come home when I left this morning. He'd been doing so well since he started staying at my place. I thought maybe he was going to turn things around."

"Maybe he still will." Sully encouraged her.

"I wish." Rose said sadly. "I wish a lot of things. I wish I'd had the good sense to make Anthony get help or to get my boys out of that situation. Now look at them. Michael is a junky and Maurice… Well, I can't help but wonder if Maurice would have the anxiety problems that he has if I'd gotten him away from Anthony. I can remember all the times Anthony tried to stop drinking. He'd hallucinate; see snakes and all sorts of crazy things. And he would have Maurice terrified. I'd have to pull the covers of Maurice's bed back to show him that there were no snakes there, that those were only wrinkles in the sheets he was feeling. And he'd wake up screaming from nightmares. I'd have to leave the light on and sit with him until he fell asleep again."

Sully listened as Rose continued. He sensed that she needed to get some things off of her chest, so to speak.

"And then it only got worse. Anthony couldn't keep a job and started gambling. And we fought. Terrible fights, screaming and yelling. Some of them turned violent. Maurice was always the protector, while Mikey stayed in his room and pretended nothing was happening. I guess I should have tried to force Anthony to get help. I knew that. But I didn't do anything, until I found out that he had another woman on the side. Then I was jealous. When he would not give her up, I left him. But that only made him more angry." Rose paused and looked up at Sully. " I'm sorry, John. I guess you didn't want to hear all this over breakfast."

"That's alright, Rose. Really I don't mind. You know we all make mistakes. I'm sure you did the best you could under the circumstances." Sully assured her.

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Collision Course, Chapter 31

Kathy was glad when the 6:00PM visiting hour came and went, even though the day had been fairly uneventful. Officer Boscorelli had been dialyzed for almost three hours without any problems. His mother and Officer Sullivan had visited at 10:00 AM. Sully, as they called him, really seemed to be a good friend. And Kathy noted that he seemed fiercely protective of Mrs. Boscorelli. Rose, as she insisted Kathy call her, had visited again at 2:00 PM, but then left to allow ex-partner #2, Sergeant Cruz, to visit. During the last visiting hour, Rose again came and ex-partner #1 showed up in her uniform. Apparently she was on a meal break.

The partner situation had intrigued Kathy. She could tell that there was no love loss between the two ex-partners. They seemed to avoid each other if at all possible and barely spoke if avoidance was not possible. And there seemed to always be a tension in the air between them. Their interactions with Officer Boscorelli were starkly different as well. Ex-partner #1 always seemed a bit nervous around him and somewhat cautious when she spoke to him, although Kathy could tell that she cared about him. Ex-partner # 2 seemed much more comfortable around him and more intimate. Kathy found herself wondering if maybe there had been something more to their relationship than just being work partners. And could ex-partner #1 be jealous?

Kathy had also met the current partner, Sasha, earlier in the week. Apparently she had been involved in the accident as well, but had only minor injuries. She still seemed to be dealing with a lot of guilt the last time Kathy saw her.

Officer Boscorelli was still unresponsive for the majority of the day. He did seem to stir slightly when Kathy had turned him earlier in the afternoon. And Rose had thought that he squeezed her hand slightly during her last visit. Kathy also noticed that his heart rate sped up slightly and his eyes fluttered when the ex-partner, Faith, had talked to him.

With 20 minutes left in her shift, Kathy charted another set of vitals, as well as, the drainage output on the remaining chest tube and the foley. Although he was requiring dialysis, he still made a small amount of urine, which was encouraging.

Finally she decided it was time to turn the officer from his back onto his left side. Kathy hated turning him in that direction because of his incision and chest tube. It had to be more uncomfortable to lie on that side. But she also knew that it was necessary to keep him turned regularly to prevent skin breakdown. She untied the restraint on his right wrist and laid his arm over his chest. Going to the other side, she pulled on the draw sheet, pulling him up and toward her. She held the sheet with one hand as she shoved a pillow behind his back with the other. Then she moved back around to the other side and pushed the pillow even farther under him propping him up. She adjusted the pillow under his head, but failed to notice that Officer Boscorelli's eyes were now open wide. Moving back down, she adjusted his legs, placing a pillow between his knees.

As she straightened the cover, she was surprised to hear the distinctive high- pitched beep of the ventilator alarming. Looking up quickly, her heart leapt when she saw Officer Boscorelli's right hand waving around in the air with the ET tube in it. He looked slightly alarmed, as well, as he coughed and struggled to catch his breath without the help of the ventilator.

Kathy immediately called out for help and when one of the other nurses finally stuck her head in the door, she half-shouted, "Get respiratory therapy in here and page Dr. Poole now!"

XXXX

Sasha glanced at Cruz as she sat across from her at the diner on their meal period. "How was Bosco today?" she asked.

Cruz looked up from her meal. "There really wasn't much change. He was dialyzed again today. And he still wasn't wake." Cruz answered sadly.

"This is all so unbelievable." Sasha commented.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Cruz mumbled.

When their waitress came over and asked if they wanted dessert, Sasha was amazed when Cruz asked for the double fudge brownie with ice cream.

"What?" Cruz questioned.

"Nothing, Sarg. It's just. Well, you've had a burger and onion rings." Sasha answered.

"So?" Cruz asked defensively.

"Well, nothing. I guess you got over whatever you had before." Sasha commented with a smile, remembering Cruz's sickness the morning after the accident. "I've just never known you to eat a lot of sweets. If I didn't know better, I'd think you might be pregnant." Sasha half laughed.

Cruz glared at Sasha, but didn't respond.

Sasha looked at her in amusement, then noting Cruz's expression, she gasped slightly,

"Oh my…..No! You're not?...You're pregnant?" Sasha almost whispered.


	13. Chapters 3234

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 32

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"Oh my…..No! You're not." "You're pregnant?" Sasha almost whispered.

Cruz looked down at the table as she fumbled with her napkin. Slowly she glanced back up at Sasha's expectant face.

"How pregnant?" Sasha finally asked.

"Oh, I'd say all the way." Cruz replied sarcastically.

"No…. I mean, how far along are you?" Sasha clarified.

"Thirteen weeks." Cruz answered quietly.

"Thirteen weeks?" Sasha slowly counted back. "But that's when…."

"When I was raped." Her voice broke on the last word.

Sasha sat in stunned silence. Cruz looked back down at her hands that continued to twist her napkin. Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Sasha cleared her throat, unsure of what to say. "Sarg, didn't they offer you the morning-after pill?" she questioned softly.

Cruz nodded her head up and down. "I didn't take it."

"What?" Sasha asked in confusion thinking maybe she had heard her wrong.

"I didn't take it…. because of my religious beliefs." Cruz repeated.

Sasha tried to gather her thoughts. "So you're going to have it?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I'm going to have her." Cruz answered. "It's not her fault that her father is a rapist or that I was stupid enough to get myself into that situation."

"You were not stupid Sarg. You couldn't know that he was going to do that." Sasha assured her.

"No, but I could have listened to you and left well enough alone." Cruz replied.

"Still, this is not your fault. You can't blame yourself." Sasha was completely baffled by the whole situation.

"Did you say 'she'?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah, it's a girl." Cruz smiled briefly despite the tears threatening to fall. "You may think this is crazy, Monroe, but I want her. I mean… I don't have anyone else. My mom was a hooker and I don't even know who my father was. My sister and I were raised by our grandmother, but she died when Lettie was seventeen. And now Lettie is gone. This baby is the only relative that I have and I want her. I don't care what anyone thinks either. She is just as much a part of me as she is of him." Cruz confided.

"I don't think it's crazy, Sarg. It's…. different, maybe. But not crazy." Sasha replied with a hint of sadness to her voice. "Does anyone else know?" she questioned.

"Bosco knows. I was sick one night when we were out on patrol and I got a little lightheaded. He was going to make me go to the ER, so I had to tell him." Cruz answered.

Sasha could not help but be curious about Bosco's reaction considering his history with Cruz and his reaction to her being raped. "What did he say?" Sasha asked hesitantly.

"Actually, he gave me some pretty good advice. He said if I wanted to have her it was my business and no one else's. And if I wanted to keep her, it was my business. But to make sure that I was able to love her unconditionally and not resent her because of what happened. He said if I was going to do that, I should consider giving her up to someone who could love her regardless." Cruz paused, then continued. "I decided that night that I was going to keep her."

XXXX

Kathy sat staring into the ICU room. Her shift had ended almost an hour ago, but still she waited. Finally Dr. Poole exited the room.

"You should go home. I think he's going to be fine." Tim reported.

"Are you angry?" Kathy asked.

"Well, if he'd crumped then, yeah. I would have been angry with you. But since he's ok, I'm not mad. In fact I'm a bit relieved that I no longer have to worry about when it will be the right time to extubate him. He took care of that little problem for us." Tim reassured her with a smile.

XXXX

Kathy had panicked initially when she realized that Officer Boscorelli had pulled his breathing tube out. It seemed as if it took forever for respiratory therapy to get there. When they arrived, it had actually been Marge who was just in the process of clocking in when all the commotion started. Marge quickly attached a facemask to the oxygen port coming from the wall and approached the bed. However, Officer Boscorelli must have recognized her from their previous interactions because he looked at her in horror and started yelling for her to stop. Actually it was more a squeak since his voice was still very weak. But Marge got the message and handed the mask off to Kathy. Kathy had finally gotten the mask on him. She moved him back onto his back and elevated the head of the bed. Then she retied the restraint on his right wrist to keep him from pulling the mask off. He struggled briefly, then finally began to calm down. When he did, his breathing calmed as well. His oxygen level stabilized and he finally relaxed.

Tim had come in shortly thereafter. Since the patient was holding his own, he decided to hold off on reintubating him and just watch him. He continued to do well and they were even able to wean the oxygen from the facemask down some. Still Kathy had been reluctant to leave until she knew that he was ok. Now she glanced from Tim back to the patient. He seemed to be sleeping, the expression on his face calm. His oxygen level was good, and his blood pressure and heart rate were stable. She let out a small sigh of relief.

XXXX

"Kathy, you really should go home." Tim reiterated. "Aren't you working tomorrow? We're going to hold his tube feedings in case we need to reintubate him. But really, he's doing ok."

"I need to finish up an incident report. And I guess I should call his mother and let her know what happened. She was going back to work and wasn't planning to come back until tomorrow morning." Kathy commented.

"Well, it's fine to let her know what happened. But it's probably just as well that he doesn't have any more visitors tonight. I'd rather keep him as calm as possible until we make sure he's going to do ok." Tim replied.

Kathy nodded and went to find Rose's work number.

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Collision Course, Chapter 33

Day 8, 7:15 AM

Kathy hurried about, making her initial assessment of her patient. The night before had been fairly uneventful after she left. Well, at least uneventful until Christine untied Officer Boscorelli's wrist restraint during his bath earlier this morning. Within a few minutes, the officer had pulled his oxygen mask off, at the same time pulling the feeding tube out of his nose. He had apparently rested quietly after that and his oxygen levels had remained stable once the mask was replaced. After checking the IV bags that were hanging at the bedside, Kathy glanced down at the officer. She was surprised to see his deep blue eyes watching her. Was that a look of confusion or curiosity on his face? Maybe both.

"Good morning, Officer Boscorelli," she chirped as she moved closer to the bed.

"Bosco" a raspy voice whispered.

"What?" Kathy questioned. She was having trouble understanding him.

"Bosco" He repeated a little more loudly.

Kathy realized then that he was referring to himself by the name that his friends and coworkers called him. "Ok. Good morning, Bosco." She replied with a smile. "I'm your nurse, Ka….."

"Kathy" the raspy voice cut in.

Kathy looked at him in shock. "I wasn't sure that you would remember that." She confided.

"Bits and pieces." Bosco mumbled. Suddenly a frown crossed his face. "Where's Marge?" He questioned.

Kathy let out a small laugh. "Oh, you remember Marge, do you? Well don't worry. She want be in until tonight." Kathy assured him.

Bosco looked slightly confused. "What time…" He stopped to clear his throat.

"It's 7:15…. In the morning." Kathy answered when she realized what he was trying to ask.

"Sunday?" He questioned.

"No, Saturday." Kathy corrected him.

'How could it be Saturday morning when the last thing I remember is Saturday afternoon?' Bosco pondered.

Seeing the perplexed look on his face, Kathy continued, "You're in the hospital, Officer. You've been here for a week now. Do you remember what happened?"

'A week? What …'

Kathy watched as Bosco wrinkled his brow in thought and then closed his eyes tightly.

He finally opened his eyes and asked, "Monroe?"

It took Kathy a minute to realize that he was asking about Officer Monroe. "She's fine, Officer. Barely a scratch on her." Kathy assured him.

"Bosco" he muttered again and then coughed, his face contorting in pain.

"Right, sorry. Why don't you rest, Bosco? You really shouldn't talk too much since the breathing tube just came out." Kathy admonished.

Bosco nodded his head and closed his eyes. He was too tired to think about it all now.

XXXX

Kathy had allowed Bosco to sleep until around 9:00AM. But she had been left explicit instructions from Dr. Poole that he wanted the officer to try to sit up in a chair this morning if possible. He was going to be dialyzed again later in the day. So she and one of the orderlies had moved him into a chair at the bedside. They elevated his feet, so that the casted leg would not be hanging down.

Kathy had straightened his linens in the meantime and now was busy charting. She looked up when she heard a low moan. Officer Boscorelli was extremely pale and had tiny beads of sweat across his forehead. "Are you ok, Offic… Bosco?"

"Don't feel so good." Bosco mumbled, taking a few quick and obviously painful breaths.

Kathy glanced at the clock. It was only 9:35. She had intended to have him sit up for at least an hour, maybe even through the visiting period. But it appeared that it was not to be. "Let me get some help and we'll get you back into bed." Kathy assured him.

XXXX

Rose sat in the waiting room watching the clock on the wall. Her foot tapped up and down nervously.

"It's almost time." Sully commented.

"Are you going back with me, John?" Rose asked.

"No, I don't think so. If he's awake, the last thing he's going to want to see is my ugly mug." Sully joked. He glanced at Rose's tapping foot. "You nervous?"

"What? Oh, no." Rose answered as she stopped her shaking leg. "That's just a habit."

XXXX

Kathy glanced up as Rose Boscorelli entered the room. "Hi Rose. How are you this morning?"

"I'm good, Kathy, really good. How's my boy?" Rose questioned.

"Well, he sat up in the chair for a little while, so he's pretty wiped out right now. I think he'll wake up for you though." Kathy reported. With that, she headed out of the room to give Rose some privacy.

Rose eased over to the chair at the side of Bosco's bed and sat down. He was sleeping so peacefully, she hated to wake him. The bruises on his face continued to fade. The oxygen mask was a welcomed sight compared to the ventilator. She slowly placed her hand in his. When she did, he curled his fingers around hers. "Maurice?" She asked in a whisper. His eyes fluttered slowly open.

Standing and leaning over the bed, Rose stroked his forehead with her fingers. "Maurice, baby?" she muttered though tears.

"Ma" Bosco rasped, tears trickling down his own face.

"Shh, baby. It's ok. Mamma's here." Rose assured him as she brushed the tears from his cheek. Leaning over further, she kissed his forehead and then rested her head against his.

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Collision Course, Chapter 34

Bosco slept through most of Rose's visit, but she seemed content to sit with him, holding his hand and occasionally patting his arm. After the visiting period ended, Tricia, the dialysis nurse, wheeled her machine in.

"Well, I see we've made progress since our last dialysis session." Tricia observed. "When did that happen?" she questioned, making reference to the fact that Bosco was no longer on the ventilator.

"Oh, he pulled the tube out himself last night." Kathy replied.

"Oh, I see." Tricia stated as she started to hook the machine to the large catheter in Bosco's leg. As she attached the tubing, Bosco began to stir.

"Good morning, Officer Boscorelli. I'm Tricia."

Bosco looked around worriedly and was relieved when he located Kathy. Looking back at what Tricia was doing, he croaked, "What's that?"

"That's the dialysis machine, Officer." Tricia answered.

Bosco looked back at Kathy in confusion. Meanwhile, Kathy was wishing that Offficer Boscorelli had been awake enough earlier this morning for Dr. Poole to talk to him about his injuries.

"You've been dialyzed a couple of times, Officer." Kathy began.

"Bosco" he reiterated with a frown.

"I'm sorry. Bosco. You had some internal injuries from the accident. Dr. Poole had to remove your spleen and one kidney. And the other kidney was damaged because your blood pressure was very low for a while. So you're being dialyzed to remove the toxins that build up in your body." Kathy explained.

The frown on Bosco's face increased as he looked back toward Tricia and her machine.

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Kathy said goodbye to Tricia and glanced back at her patient. He had been extremely distant since their conversation earlier. For a long time he just stared at the dialysis machine; then he finally dosed off and on. Now he lay quietly, rolling the sheet between the fingers of his right hand. Kathy was glad that the 2:00 visiting hour was fast approaching.

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Kathy watched as Sergeant Cruz washed her hands prior to entering Officer Boscorelli's room. His mother had visited for the first 10 minutes of the visiting period. Bosco had rested with his eyes closed and barely responded to Rose. Kathy had assured her that he was probably just wiped out from the dialysis. She was curious now as to how he would respond to Sergeant Cruz.

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Maritza Cruz stood at Bosco's bedside and watched his face closely. His forehead would wrinkle up as if he were in pain or having a bad dream. She hoped it wasn't the latter. She had witnessed him having one nightmare back when they were together. She had watched him toss and turn for a few minutes, thinking that he would wake up or settle down. Instead he bolted straight up in the bed screaming at the top of his lungs. When she reached out for him, he grabbed her by the shoulders and shouted at her to run. 'RUN! RUN! IT'S COMING DOWN!" He had shouted it over and over and tried to push her away from him. He was breathing in gasps and sweat poured off of him. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally managed to wake him. But when he realized what was going on, he turned away from her. He sat on the edge of the bed shaking, trying to control his breathing. Then without a word he left the bedroom. She found him sitting on her couch in the dark. The streetlight outside cast an eerie shadow, making the look in his eyes more haunting. They sat in silence for a long time, until finally he told her about 9-11. She was shocked that he opened up to her, but even more shocked by the things he had witnessed. They both shed silent tears that night and Bosco finally fell asleep with his head resting on her shoulder. The next day he acted completely normal. Well, normal for Bosco. And they had never spoken about that night again.

Looking again, Cruz noticed his expression was more intense. And despite what Rose had said about him being exhausted, she decided to wake him. She placed one hand on his arm and shook it gently. "Bosco. Bosco, wake up." She coaxed. He tried to pull his arm away. "Come on, Chico. I know you've been awake today. Open your eyes." She continued. "Hey there. Now that's better." She said when he finally complied.

"Hey" he mumbled.

"How are you feeling?" Cruz asked as she sat down in the chair and moved her hand to rest on top of his.

"Like I've been hit by a truck." Bosco grumbled, then coughed slightly.

"Well that's close." Cruz smirked.

Bosco studied her for a moment. "How are you?" he questioned.

Cruz was a bit surprised by his question. "I'm not the one in the ICU, Bosco."

"You know what I mean." He said slowly, trying not to strain his raspy voice too much.

Cruz smiled. "We're doing fine, Bosco."

Bosco seemed satisfied and remained quiet for a few minutes. Finally he looked back at Cruz. "I'm getting dialysis." He stated in a matter-of –fact manner.

"Yeah, I know. But that's only temporary." Cruz assured him.

"How do you know?" He asked her.

"I just know. You've come a long way, Bosco. And you're going to get past this. Just wait. You'll be back to your old self in no time." She assured him.

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Dr. Poole came in to check on his patient shortly after the visiting hour. "How are you feeling, Officer Boscorelli?" He questioned.

Bosco shrugged his shoulders, but soon regretted it when he felt the pain in his chest from the motion.

Dr. Poole picked up on his discomfort. "We're going to change your pain medication so that you can give yourself an extra dose when you need it, Officer. I wanted to talk to you about your injuries." Tim continued.

Kathy was amazed as she watched the interaction between the two. She was first surprised that Bosco didn't insist on Tim calling him Bosco. She was also surprised that he didn't really ask Tim any questions as Tim told him about his injuries, like he had her. In fact, he seemed disinterested in the whole conversation.

When Tim finished, he approached her. "He's not very talkative is he?" Tim asked.

"I think maybe he's just tired. We've had a busy day." Kathy reported.

"Well since he's doing so well, I'm going to change his oxygen mask to nasal bi-prongs and have the speech therapist see if he can eat. Let me know if he has any problems." With that Tim left the room.

Kathy glanced back at her patient who had closed his eyes once again.


	14. Chapters 35 to 37

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 35

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Sully strolled into the locker room and spotted Ty in front of his locker. "Hey, Junior."

"Hey, Sul. What's got you so happy today?" Ty questioned, seeing a rare smile on Sully's face.

"Can't a guy just be happy?" Sully responded.

Ty gave Sully a curious look. "What gives, Sul?"

"What?" Sully gave a small laugh. "It's a beautiful day. We're both healthy. And Bosco's awake."

"WHAT?" Ty now gave his full attention to Sully.

"He's awake. He finally pulled that breathing tube out last night himself. And he's been awake and talking today." Sully explained.

"Have you seen him?" Ty questioned further.

"No, I let Rose go by herself. I didn't think he'd want my face to be the first face he saw." Sully replied.

"So you were there…. with Rose?" Ty quizzed, as his eyes lit up. "You two have breakfast again?"

"Yeah, we had breakfast, Davis. So what?" Sully sounded slightly annoyed.

"I wonder what Bosco's gonna think about you making a move on his mom while he was unconscious?" Ty teased.

"Oh, grow up, Davis! We're just…. friends. I'm not making any moves on anybody." Sully insisted.

"Uh huh." Davis grinned and shook his head.

The door to the locker room opened and Sasha Monroe entered. Seeing the silent looks on Ty and Sully's faces, she asked, " What were you two talking about?"

"NOTHING!" Sully half shouted and turned to his locker.

"Sully making moves on Bosco's mom." Davis replied with a wide grin.

Sully's face turned a bright crimson. "Davis, what did I tell you?" He turned toward Sasha and continued, "We're just friends."

"Yeah and that would be why your face is all red." Sasha commented with a smirk.

"You hear about Bosco?" Sully questioned her, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, I thought I'd go by at 6:00 to check on him." Sasha answered.

The locker room door opened once again and Faith came in. Glancing around at the three other officers, she asked, " Sully, is your blood pressure up? Your face is all red."

With that, Ty and Sasha both burst out in laughter. Sully just shook his head. "Kids." He grumbled. Looking back at Faith, he asked, "Did you stop and see Bosco?"

"No, I was in the grocery store when Rose called. I didn't really have time to go home and back to the hospital before work." She answered, as she hurried over to her locker.

"Oh, well I guess you'll go by later then." Sully commented.

Faith didn't answer as she opened her locker door and started to change.

Just then, the door slung open and Maritza Cruz rushed in.

"Whoa, slow down, Sarg. You've got plenty of time." Sully assured her.

"I stopped by the hospital and the traffic was terrible." Cruz reported, slightly out of breath.

"Did you see him?" Sasha questioned.

"Yeah, I saw him." She didn't elaborate.

"How was he?" Ty questioned her.

"Alright I guess. He seemed tired. I think he was a little freaked out by the whole dialysis thing." She reported.

"Yeah, I can only imagine how it must be to go to work one day, get into an accident, and wake up a week later missing body parts and needing dialysis." Sully commented.

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Collision Course, Chapter 36

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Bosco could hear Kathy calling his name and feel her hand tapping his shoulder, but he refused to open his eyes. He was exhausted and he hurt all over. He just wanted to sleep. He decided if he just ignored her, maybe she would leave him alone. He was proven wrong when Kathy removed his oxygen mask and assaulted his nostrils with cold plastic tubing. "What the…"

"I'm sorry, Bosco. But I couldn't get you awake." Kathy apologized. "You can't eat with that mask on and Virginia will be here any minute with lunch. Well, I guess it's too late for lunch considering its 3:45, but its food just the same. Are you hungry?"

'Am I hungry? What kind of question is that?' "Yeah, I'm hungry." Bosco answered.

"That's good because I'm here," a tall, thin brunette with a singsong voice announced.

"Great," Bosco mumbled.

The brunette came closer and sat the tray down on the bedside table. "I'm Virginia, the speech therapist. Dr. Poole wanted me to make sure that it was safe for you to eat." At the confused look on Bosco's face, she explained, "Having the breathing tube down your throat for several days can sometimes affect your swallowing. My job is to make sure you can swallow safely."

'Whatever. What's for lunch?' Bosco thought, but he only nodded his head.

As Virginia began to uncover the items on the tray, Kathy watched the look of horror that crossed Bosco's face.

"What is that? Baby food?" he questioned, obviously appalled.

"No, it's not baby food, silly. It's pureed. It's not as bad as it looks." Virginia laughed.

Kathy stood back and watched. This was going to be fun.

"Now, let's get you sitting up a little straighter." Virginia instructed, as she raised the head of the bed. "Lean forward."

Bosco did as he was told and Virginia shoved an extra pillow behind his back. "Comfy?" She asked.

Bosco wanted to tell her just how uncomfortable he was, but he held his tongue.

"Why don't we start with a sip of water?" Virginia asked.

Bosco nodded again and reached up for the glass in Virginia's hand.

"Uh uh uh," Virginia chided, as she pushed his hand back down. "That's my job." She instructed, as she cupped her left hand under his chin. She eased the glass to his lips and gave him barely enough water to swallow.

Although it hurt slightly to swallow, the feel of the cool water in his mouth was heavenly. Bosco looked at Virginia eagerly anticipating another drink.

"That's very good, Officer." Virginia encouraged and finally gave him another few sips. "Now, how about some real food?"

Bosco wasn't sure he saw any real food. He looked carefully at the spoon in Virginia's hand. He assumed that it held potatoes. 'That shouldn't be too bad,' he thought as he hesitantly took a bite. Indeed it was not bad, not bad at all.

"I can do it." Bosco insisted, as he reached for the next spoonful.

"Not just yet. I don't want you to get too large a bite." Virginia countered.

Bosco looked at her as if he was about to pout, but he was interrupted by a spoonful of vanilla pudding coming his way. Bosco loved vanilla pudding, almost as much as chocolate. He closed his eyes and savored each bite.

"You like that, huh. Maybe you'll like this too." Virginia announced.

Bosco opened his eyes just as the spoon was entering his mouth. As the flavor hit his taste buds, he cringed and almost gagged. He looked around desperately trying to find somewhere to spit the bite out.

"What's wrong?" Virginia questioned with concern.

Unable to come up with any other solution, Bosco finally spit the food out and onto the front of his gown. He spit and sputtered for a few more moments before finally asking Virginia, "What….what was that?"

A shocked Virginia finally muttered "English peas."

"I hate English peas." Bosco scowled.

Kathy, who was still watching in the background, let out a small chuckle.

Bosco glared at her, as his face turned red. "It's not funny!" he half shouted. "I can feed myself! I'm not an invalid and I'm not a child! And I DON'T EAT ENGLISH PEAS!"

Kathy watched in shock as Bosco shoved the tray away, nearly knocking it off of the bedside table.

"Ok. Well, I think he's good to go, Kat." Virginia stated, as she gathered her things to leave.

Kathy apologized to Virginia as she was leaving, then looked back at her patient. He was staring down at his blanket while he twisted the edge of it in his right hand. His jaw was set and his face red. His lower lip quivered slightly as a large tear rolled down his cheek.

Kathy walked outside the room for a few minutes to give Bosco some time to compose himself. Then she reentered and slowly approached the bedside. "How about we get you a clean gown and let you rest for a while?"

"I'm sorry." Bosco mumbled so low it was barely audible.

"That's ok. I hate English peas too." Kathy smiled.

Bosco was grateful that Kathy was letting him off the hook. He didn't know what had gotten into him. He was just so frustrated by everything. First he woke up to find out that he had only one kidney left and it wasn't working. He would have to have dialysis for who knows how long, maybe a lifetime. And now he couldn't even feed himself. But most of all he couldn't stand the thought that he had no control over any of it. 'I can't live like this,' he thought sadly. 'It has to get better, because I can't live like this.'

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Collision Course, Chapter 37

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Rose sat, waiting for the 6:00 visiting hour to begin. She needed to go to work, but she hated to leave. She was anxious to see if Maurice was feeling better than he had been earlier. She looked up when she heard the door opening and was surprised to see Mikey and Anthony entering the waiting room.

"Hey, Ma." Mikey greeted her. "How is Maurice doing? We heard that he was awake."

Rose looked at Mikey in astonishment. "You disappear for days, Michael, and then just decide to show up again?" She gave Anthony a disapproving glare.

"I'm sorry, Ma. I just needed some time to sort a few things out." Mikey apologized.

"Don't you think that you could have let me know that you were alive and not overdosed in a gutter somewhere?" Rose scolded.

Mikey sighed as he tried to explain. "I've been at Pop's place, Ma. And I've been clean. He helped me get started in a rehab program and even went to my first meeting with me."

Rose was sorry for her harsh words, but was still angry. "Well, you could have told me, Michael. I've had enough to worry about with Maurice." She stepped forward and hugged her younger son. "I'm happy for you." She whispered, as she kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, Ma. So how is Moe?" Mikey questioned.

"He's awake. He talked to me earlier today, but was pretty exhausted after the dialysis. He slept through most of our last visit." Her voice gave away her worry.

"We thought we might go in and see him." Mikey reported, glancing over at Anthony.

"Hi Rose" Anthony greeted his ex-wife cautiously.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Rose replied. "I mean, he just came off of the breathing machine and he's still very weak. I wouldn't want to take a chance at upsetting him." She explained to Anthony.

"You're right. I should probably wait until he's doing better." Anthony reluctantly agreed. "Mikey can go in and I'll wait out here."

"Dad" Mikey was about to protest, but his father put up a hand.

"Your mother's right, son. You know how easily I set Maurice off. He doesn't need that right now." A voice over the intercom announced the visiting hour, as he spoke. "You go ahead." He continued.

Mikey gave his mother a questioning look. "Would you mind if I went in alone for a few minutes, Ma?"

"No, that's fine. I'll just sit right here." Rose assured him.

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Kathy had allowed Bosco to sleep for the rest of the afternoon. A dinner tray had arrived, but she had set it to the side. She wasn't about to wake him up to try to feed him, not after what happened with Virginia. She sighed as she contemplated how she would get him fed without another fight. She decided that it would have to wait until after the visiting period. She glanced up to see a young man approaching.

"Hi" the young man said nervously.

"Hi, can I have your name please?" Kathy questioned, as she hadn't seen this visitor before.

"I'm Michael." He offered. Then seeing the confused look on her face, he added, "his brother."

"Oh, I haven't met you before. I'm Kathy. Go on in. He's been resting for a while. Maybe he'll wake up for you." Kathy encouraged.

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Mikey stood at the bedside for a few minutes watching Bosco. He noticed the slight frown that creased his brother's forehead. Leaning over the bed, he whispered, "Maurice? Moe? It's me, Mikey. Can you hear me?"

Bosco mumbled incoherently, but slowly began to open his eyes. He blinked a few times and cleared his throat. "Mikey?"

"Yeah, Moe. It's me." Mikey affirmed with a smile. "How are ya?"

Bosco hesitated, then answered. "I'm ok, Mike." He tried to smile. He couldn't tell Mikey the truth. The truth was he was hurting, tired, and scared. But he had always been the strong one. He couldn't let Mikey down.

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Rose and Anthony sat in silence for a few moments, before Anthony spoke. "Don't be too hard on Mike, Rose. He's trying. I think he was afraid to call you."

"Why would he be afraid to call me?" Rose asked, confused.

"I think he's afraid that he will screw up again. He didn't want to disappoint you. He just wanted to keep things quiet for a while." Anthony explained. "He's really trying this time, Rose."

They sat in silence for a few moments longer. This time Rose spoke. "Mikey told me that you've quit drinking."

"Three and a half years." Anthony reported. "Not one drop."

"That's great. I'm glad for you." Rose replied.

"I just wish I'd done it sooner." Anthony sighed. "I really screwed everybody up didn't I, Rosie." He said with remorse.

"You weren't alone in it, Anthony. I did my part." Rose added.

"You were a good mother, Rosie." Anthony assured her. "And you were a good wife. Sure we had our fights, but what choice did you have but to fight back." Anthony looked up into Rose's eyes. "I'm sorry, Rosie."

"We both made mistakes, Anthony. There's no need for hard feelings. We just have to make the best of it now. Maurice and Michael both need us."

Anthony nodded and placed his hand over Rose's. "I'm gonna do my best, Rosie."

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Rose gathered Mikey into a big bear hug. "I know you can do this, Michael. You hang in there."

"I'm sure going to try, Ma." Mikey assured her, then turned to leave.

Rose said a quick goodbye to Anthony and then headed into the ICU.

She approached Bosco's room and found him staring at the TV, although he didn't look very interested in it. And it didn't seem to bother him that the sound was off.

"Maurice?" He hadn't noticed her enter.

"Oh, hey Ma." He answered.

Rose moved to the edge of the bed and took Bosco's hand in hers. "How are you feeling, baby?"

"I'm fine, Ma." Bosco replied flatly.

"Uh huh." Rose mumbled.

They chatted for a few minutes, until Rose noticed the dinner tray sitting off to the side. She wandered over to the tray to inspect it. "Looks like they brought you a dinner tray, Maurice. Are you hungry?" She questioned.

"Not really." Bosco replied, remembering the English pea incident.

"Well, you need to eat. You have to build your strength up." Rose urged, as she brought the tray over to the bedside table. "Look. Chocolate pudding. Your favorite."

Kathy saw what was happening from outside of the room and was about to warn Rose, but she decided it might be better if she just stayed out of the way.

"Here, let's sit you up." Rose said as she raised the head of the bed. "There, now. That's better."

Bosco just stared at Rose as she took out the napkin and tucked it into the neck of his hospital gown.

"How about some pudding? Huh? Open wide." Rose ordered as she brought a spoon full of pudding towards his mouth.

"Maaa, I'm not a baby." Bosco objected.

"I know you're not, Maurice. But you're still my baby, so humor me. Huh? Now open wide."

Bosco's mouth dropped open slightly in shock and Rose took that opportunity to push the spoon into his mouth. He wanted to protest again, but his stomach growled loudly and distracted him. He was famished and he loved chocolate of any kind. So he decided to just go along with Rose.

Kathy watched in disbelief as Rose fed Bosco. They chatted back and forth between bites and Bosco even laughed a couple of times.

"Do you remember that little game we used to play, Maurice?" Rose asked.

"What game?" Bosco questioned.

"The little chew chew game we played when you were just a toddler. It was the only way I could ever get you to eat English peas. I would pretend that I was going to feed them to Mikey and you'd finally open your mouth for the chew chew train. Mikey was just a baby." Rose smiled as she reminisced.

"Maaa." Bosco moaned.

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Rose looked at her watch as the end of the visiting hour was announced. "Well, I guess it's time to go. Look, you finished almost everything." Rose smiled as she turned up an empty bowl.

Bosco reached out and grasped her right hand in his, holding it tight. He swallowed hard.

"What is it, Maurice?" Rose asked when she saw the change in his features.

"Don't leave, Ma." Bosco whispered.

"What? Maurice, they're not going to let me stay in here much longer. The visiting hour is over, but I'll come back at 10:00." Rose assured him.

Bosco fought back the tears the welled in his eyes. He was ashamed that he couldn't control his emotions any better. "I'm scared, Ma."


	15. Collision Course 38 to 39

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 38

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Kathy had been kind enough to allow Rose to stay a few minutes past the end of the visiting period. Bosco was grateful for this. Rose had managed to make him feel better about things, even a little better about the dialysis.

Now he lay there thinking that maybe, just maybe things were not that bad. He'd get better with time. He just needed to be patient. 'Yeah, fat chance of that' he laughed to himself.

But his positive thoughts were quickly put aside when his stomach began to cramp. Having been fed liquid food through a feeding tube for nearly a week, his stomach was not quite prepared for all of the dinner he'd eaten. He was suddenly horrified by the realization that he was in no way able to get up and go to a bathroom. 'Maybe they have a bedside commode' he thought wishfully. Looking up he realized that it was almost 7:00 PM. He knew that Kathy was leaving then and he was embarrassed at the thought of her having to help him onto the toilet. So he decided to try to wait since some new nurse was coming that he wouldn't know. Maybe that would not be as embarrassing.

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Kathy updated Mary on Bosco's condition. The agency nurse had called in at the last minute saying she could not come tonight, so the only other option was to pull one of the nurses from the ER because they had training and experience with critically ill patients. Then they pulled a floor nurse to take that nurses place in the ER.

Kathy walked back into Bosco's room to tell him goodbye. Stepping up to the bedside, she noticed Bosco's wide eyes and a thin bead of sweat forming on his brow. "Are you ok, Officer…Bosco?" she questioned.

He quickly shook his head, but didn't speak.

"Are you in pain? You remember that you can push the button to increase your pain meds, right?" she asked.

Bosco again shook his head.

Kathy frowned. "Ok. Well, I'm going to go. I just wanted to say goodbye. I'm going to be off for two days and you're doing so well that you will probably be moved to a regular room before I get back. It's been a pleasure working with you."

Bosco nodded again. "Thank you" he mumbled. 'Now get out. Please!' he thought.

Kathy turned and left, passing Mary on her way. "Night Kathy" Mary said.

"Have a good night, Mary." Kathy replied.

Mary walked further into the room and looked down at a very surprised Bosco. "Hey there, Bosco. I'm glad to see you awake. You gave us quite a scare. How are you doing?" Mary questioned.

Bosco stared at her for a long moment, then decided that he might as well be truthful because he couldn't hold on much longer. "Honestly, Proctor, I have to take a dump."

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After a long debate over whether Bosco was strong enough to get up to the bedside commode or would have to use the bedpan, Mary finally triumphed. Bosco was fit to be tied when Mary finally shoved the bedpan under his backside, as one of the male orderlies helped pull him up onto his side. When he finished, he called to Mary in a defeated tone.

He had never been so humiliated in his life as when Mary rolled him onto his right side and held him up as the orderly cleaned him. He could feel his ears turning bright red with embarrassment. Unfortunately for him, his misery was not over. They repeated the process three additional times within the next two hours. He had a killer case of diarrhea.

Finally, on the fourth time cleaning him up, Mary and the orderly decided they might as well go ahead and give him his bath. Bosco had protested vigorously, saying he hadn't done anything to get dirty. When that didn't work, he simply refused. Mary insisted that he had to be bathed every day. It was hospital policy. Patients had to be bathed daily to help prevent infection.

Finally he relented, in part to get Mary to leave him alone. He was exhausted and his chest was killing him from all the moving to get on and off of the bedpan. As Mary turned him once more, he spotted the button that was connected to the pain pump and grasped it tightly in his right hand, pushing the button over and over trying to knock himself out and half wishing that he'd never wake up.

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Rose had gone over to the bar for a few hours, but made sure that she was back for the 10:00 PM visiting hour. She was disappointed to find Maurice asleep. The nurse for the night, one she recognized from the ER, had explained to her that he'd had a pretty rough few hours. So she didn't wake him. She just sat for a few minutes, stroking his forehead with her fingers and praying for his speedy recovery.

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Faith stumbled into her apartment and found Fred waiting up for her on the couch.

"Hey, Babe. How was your day?" Fred asked her.

"It was ok." Faith replied.

"How was Bosco? I heard that he is off the ventilator and awake." Fred informed her.

"Yeah, I heard it too." Faith responded wearily.

"What? You didn't go see him?" Fred questioned.

"No, I didn't." Faith said flatly.

"Why not? I thought you'd be sure to go by." Fred asked with surprise.

"I wanted to give Rose some time with him. Besides, he's probably exhausted." Faith answered.

"Well, maybe we can go by tomorrow and see him after the early church service. The kids are both going with me. You want to come with us?" Fred questioned hopefully.

"I don't know Fred." Faith answered.

"Oh, come on Faith. Let's go to church as a family for once, huh. What do you say?" Fred pleaded.

"I'll think about it." That was all Faith would say.

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Collision Course, Chapter 39

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Mary's night had been a lot easier than she thought it would. By the time she and the orderly had finished giving Bosco his bath, he was fast asleep. Mary didn't realize until she was charting later that he had pushed the button on the pain pump fifteen times in 25 minutes. Fortunately the pump had a lock out period of ten minutes so Bosco could not overdose. He only managed to give himself three doses of the medicine. But that was enough. He was out for the night. In fact, he was resting so peacefully that Mary hated to wake him.

"Bosco" she called gently. Tapping his shoulder lightly, she called out a little louder "Bosco."

Bosco tried to pull away from her while mumbling, "No Ma. I don't want to get up yet."

Mary let out a small laugh. She could only imagine what a terror Bosco must have been as a teenager. "Wake up, Bosco." She said more forcefully.

Again he pulled away, this time trying to role over onto his left side. This only caused him to moan out in pain. But he finally opened his eyes and glared at Mary.

"Good morning to you too, Sunshine." Mary greeted him. "Dr. Poole is getting ready to take that chest tube out. I'd push that little magic button if I were you." She added as she handed him the button to the pain pump.

"Thanks." Bosco mumbled, as he took her advice.

After a few minutes, Dr. Poole walked into the room with a handful of bandages and instruments. "Good morning, Officer Boscorelli." He greeted.

"Morning, Doc." Bosco mumbled.

Dr. Poole went about checking the drainage from the chest tube and then listening to Bosco's lungs. "I think we can go ahead and get this chest tube out, ok."

Bosco nodded.

Dr. Poole raised the head of the bed slightly. He lifted Bosco's casted arm and motioned for Mary to hold it up, then he pulled back the hospital gown. Grabbing at the bandage over the tube, he hurriedly pulled the tape off. Bosco was suddenly grateful that he didn't have a hairy chest. Dr. Poole then clamped the end of the tube closest to Bosco's chest and cut the remainder of the tube off. He clipped the stitches holding the tube in. Then he gathered up a piece of vaseline gauze in one hand as he grasped the remaining portion of the tube in the other. "Now, officer. When I tell you to, I want you to take a deep breath and hold it. Whatever you do, don't exhale. Ok."

"Ok." Bosco answered hesitantly. Dr. Poole's swift motions made him a little nervous, as did that warning.

"Good. Now, take a deep breath and hold it." Dr. Poole instructed. When Bosco did so, Dr. Poole quickly pulled the tube out and covered the wound with the gauze. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Dr. Poole said, as he went about placing another bandage over the gauze. Finally, he looked up to see why Bosco wasn't answering.

"Bosco, it's ok for you to breath now." Mary chuckled.

Bosco exhaled and took in a quick breath.

Dr. Poole listened to his lungs once more, then began to reevaluate his other injuries. When he finished, he addressed Bosco. "You're doing quite well officer. Hopefully we will be able to transfer you to a regular room tomorrow."

"Then when can I go home?" Bosco asked.

"You will probably be here at least another week, maybe two. And that is if everything continues to go well. You'll need some physical therapy before you go home and then after you're discharged." Dr. Poole answered.

Bosco frowned. "Well can I at least get this catheter out?"

"No. I'm sorry, but we have to keep close track of your urine output to see if your kidney is trying to recover. We need the foley in to make sure we can accurately measure the urine you're making." Dr. Poole explained.

"What happens if it doesn't recover?" Bosco asked warily.

"Well, then you will need to continue on dialysis. Most patients are dialyzed three days a week once their condition is stabilized. But that may only be temporary. You would definitely be a candidate for a transplant." Dr. Poole explained.

"You mean like getting a kidney from some stiff?" Bosco asked, the disgust evident on his face.

"Well, not necessarily. Living donors are much more common now. A lot of patients have a family member who will donate a kidney." Dr. Poole replied.

Bosco chuckled softly. "Yeah, right. Don't hold your breath, Doc. I don't think any of my family members will being jumping in line for that."

"You never know, Officer. And if there is no family member that can donate, sometimes unrelated donors can be found. You have a great deal of friends, Officer. Besides, we don't even know that it will come to that. Let's try to think positively." Dr. Poole encouraged.

"Yeah, let's do." Bosco mumbled. He wasn't doing a very good job of thinking positively lately.

XXXX

Faith sat on the church pew next to Fred feeling totally out of place. She still wondered how she had managed to get talked into this. Well actually, she knew. Fred and Charlie had ganged up on her this morning and she'd finally agreed to come with them to get them to stop. She also hoped that the distraction would get her mind off of Bosco. She had been so afraid that he would never wake up and she would not have a chance to apologize to him. Now she was afraid of how he would react when he saw her. She was afraid to face him after the way she had treated him over the past year.

A loud bang from the front of the church brought her attention back to the minister. Brother Mike, as Fred had called him, had banged his Bible down on the podium while trying to make a point. He was a small guy, shorter than Bosco actually. But he was stoutly built and seemed to be full of energy. She tried to focus on his words in order to distract herself from her other thoughts. He was talking about Hell. Faith wasn't sure that there was such a place. But if it did exist, from what Brother Mike was saying it must be awful.

She was relieved when he changed his course and began talking about God's love and the forgiveness He offered to those who obeyed, how their sins were blotted out. It all sounded really nice to Faith. She wished that she could forget her own faults, have them blotted out of her mind completely as the minister said God could forgive and forget sins completely.

Then the minister talked about loving and forgiving your brother, even if he sinned against you over and over. Her thoughts again went back to herself and Bosco, although she wasn't really sure she could call Bosco her brother. He was Catholic and she was…. well, she wasn't really anything. Her parents had gone to church occasionally, but she had never really committed herself to any faith. Still, she thought that Brother Mike made a good point. She realized that she and Bosco had both hurt each other many times. And, even if he wasn't her brother so to speak, he was at one time her best friend. She knew that she needed to forgive him and be forgiven.

Faith was beginning to think that maybe this preacher was onto something. Maybe there was something to this religious awakening that Fred had had. But then the preacher went on to say that not only should you love and forgive your brother, you should love and forgive your enemies. And that if you could not forgive, then God would not forgive you. Faith was taken back by this revelation. First, she thought it was absurd that she should be asked to forgive her enemy, thinking immediately of Maritza Cruz. Surely she wasn't expected to forgive Cruz after she had shot and nearly killed her. Never. She was never going to forgive Cruz for what she did. And if this man expected her to, he was crazy.

XXXX

Bosco rested for a while after Mary left, until an unexpected visitor came by.

"Hello, Officer Boscorelli. I'm Father O'Reilly. I'm making my Sunday rounds and wanted to stop by and speak to you. I've heard an awful lot about our city's newest hero." The elderly priest stuck out a hand to shake Bosco's.

"Hi, Father. O'Reilly?" Bosco questioned. "You Irish?"

"Yes" O'Reilly answered with an amused grin. "Is that alright? I would hope the Father would hear an Irishman's prayers the same as an Italian's."

"It's fine. I mean…. I'm sure He does." Bosco answered slightly embarrassed.

"So how are you today, Officer?" O'Reilly questioned. "I understand that you've had quite a time of it."

"I'm ok, I guess. Other than feeling a bit selfish." Bosco confided.

"Selfish over what? If I may ask?" O'Reilly inquired.

"It's just… well I've been wishing that I hadn't been there to intercept that Impala, or wishing that I had let it go and not driven out in front of it." Bosco continued.

"I can imagine that I would be wishing the same thing." O'Reilly assured him.

"If I hadn't been there, who knows how many people would have been injured or killed? But right now, I really don't care that much. I wish I hadn't been there." Bosco admitted.

"That's only natural, Officer." O'Reilly commented. "But you were there and you did a very courageous thing."

"I'm not feeling very courageous right now, Father." Bosco confided.

"Ah, but have faith, my boy. God will get you through this." He assured Bosco.

"Thanks, Father." Bosco answered.

"So can I help you with anything? I could say a prayer for you or take confessions." O'Reilly offered.

Bosco couldn't help but smile, thinking that Father O'Reilly didn't know what he was getting himself into asking for his confessions. "You'd better sit down, Father. This may take a while."

XXXX

After an early mass, Maritza Cruz stopped to have a talk with Father Rodriguez. She had told him about Bosco and asked him to have a prayer for him. But before he did this, she too made her own confessions. Somehow she even managed to wander onto the topic of Faith Yokas and the shootings. Even though she had technically shot Faith in self- defense, she did feel some remorse at being in that situation to begin with.

"Have you asked for her forgiveness or at least apologized?" Father Rodriguez questioned.

"What?" Maritza asked, brought from her thoughts by his question.

"Have you apologized to this Officer Yokas?" he asked again.

"No. No, I haven't." Cruz answered.

"Do you think that you should?" Father Rodriguez asked.

"Well, she hates me so I don't think she would forgive me anyway." Cruz replied, trying to avoid the question.

"Regardless, you are still obligated to ask her." Father Rodriguez admonished.

"I can't." Cruz answered.

"You can't or you want?" Father Rodriguez questioned.

"I can't and I want. Father, I've had to struggle for everything I've ever had in life. I'm not exactly in a habit of groveling for other people's forgiveness. And I'm not going to start with Faith Yokas." Cruz insisted.

"Maritza, are you willing to submit to God?" Rodriguez asked.

"Of course." Maritza replied.

"Well, sometimes submitting to God requires groveling, as you put it." Rodriguez continued.

Cruz was silent for a long moment. "I'll have to think about that, Father."

"You think about it, Maritza and I'll pray for you. Both of you." He replied.

XXXX

Collision Course, Chapter 39b

XXXX

When the 10:00 visiting hour began, Rose was surprised to find Bosco sitting up in a chair with his legs elevated.

"Hi, Ma." He greeted her with a slight smile.

"Good morning, Maurice." Rose replied as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. "You look like you are feeling better today. Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby." Bosco answered.

Rose sat down across from Bosco and they talked for a few minutes before Rose once again stood. "You have some other visitors waiting, so I'm going to step out and let them come in."

Bosco frowned. "What other visitors? I don't want you to go."

"Now, now. Don't pout, Maurice. You have a number of friends who have been practically keeping a vigil here. I have to share you. I'll be back later." Rose assured him.

XXXX

Bosco sat, waiting for his mysterious visitors. He really would have preferred that his mom stay, but she gave him no choice. He was surprised when he looked up to see Faith entering the room and even more surprised to see that Fred was with her.

Looking intently at Faith, he mumbled "Hi."

"Hey yourself." Faith replied.

A sheepish looking Fred joined in. "Hey, Bosco. How are you feeling?"

Bosco was a little unsure what Fred was doing there. They had not exactly been on good terms. In fact, as far as he knew, Fred still hated him. "I'm doing ok, Fred." Bosco muttered.

"That's good. That's really good." Fred said nervously. "I'm glad your doing better. You gave us quite a scare."

Bosco stared at Fred for a few moments, unsure of how to respond. "Thanks, Fred." He finally managed.

Fred just shook his head up and down as if agreeing to something. Then he looked over at Faith. He could sense her nervousness, but also her need for some time alone with Bosco. "Well, I just wanted to say hi. I've going to step out and let you guys talk."

Faith looked at Fred in desperation, but he simply patted her back and turned to leave. She then stared down at the floor for a long moment.

"Faith?" Bosco questioned.

She jumped slightly at her name and looked up at Bosco.

"Yeah, Bos." She mumbled.

"What's gotten into Fred? I mean, I thought he hated me." Bosco questioned.

Faith stared at Bosco until she realized that he had no idea of what had happened to change Fred's attitude. "You saved his life, Bosco. And Charlie's." She answered.

Bosco looked at her in total confusion.

"Charlie was playing soccer in Huntington Park that day, Bos. Fred said that the Impala was headed straight towards them, when you intercepted it. You saved their lives." She repeated.

Bosco was silent. He had saved Charlie's life? And Fred's? In a way, that revelation brought him comfort. Those nameless people that he'd been injured protecting now had names and faces. No matter how bad things were for him, he knew now that it was worth it. He would give his life for Charlie any day.

"Bos?" Faith's voice brought him back to the present, as she sat down in the chair opposite him.

"Yeah, Faith." He half whispered.

"I'm sorry, Bos." Faith said quietly.

"Sorry for what Faith? It wasn't your fault that some idiot tried to run over a soccer field full of people." Bosco answered, confused.

"No, Bos. Not that." Faith corrected. "I'm sorry that I told you to go away…. and that I refused your apology. I'm sorry that I pushed you away last year. And I'm sorry for all of the hateful things that I said." Faith confessed.

"No, Faith. You're not the one. It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry. I never should have lied to you." Bosco argued.

"No, Bosco. It was my fault. I treated you like a child and I was jealous of Cruz. I pushed you away and…"

"No, Faith." Bosco interrupted. "You had every right to be angry. It was my fault. Everything was my fault. It was my fault that you got shot….."

"No, Bosco. It wasn't."

"Yes, it was Faith."

"No…" Faith sighed. "Bosco, do you realize that we are both trying to apologize and yet we are fighting."

Bosco smiled slightly. "Pretty stupid, huh. I don't want to fight anymore Faith."

"I don't either, Bosco." Faith confided.

"Then how about we just forgive each other and forget it." Bosco suggested.

"I'd like that." Faith replied, as she reached out and grasped Bosco's outstretched hand.

The two sat in silence for a long time with their fingers interlocked, nothing else needing to be said.

XXXX

Faith left the hospital feeling truly content for the first time in a very long time. It felt really good to forgive Bosco and to be forgiven, like a great burden had been lifted. She thought briefly about Maritza Cruz, thinking maybe Brother Mike was right. Maybe she should forgive Cruz. But that thought was short lived as she soon remembered how Cruz had come between her and Bosco. Then she remembered the night of the shooting. No. There was no way in Hell she was going to forgive Maritza Cruz.


	16. Chapter 40 to 41

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 40

Day 11, 6:49 AM

Kathy hurried into the ICU to get an update on whatever patients she might have today. She greeted Mary Proctor with a smile. "Good morning Mary. How was your night?"

A weary appearing Mary answered "Very long."

Kathy approached Mary and glanced into the room that had been Officer Boscorelli's when she left. "What's he still doing here? I thought he was moving to the floor." She questioned when she saw that Bosco was still in the room.

"He was supposed to go yesterday, but his white cell count was a little too high and Dr. Poole wanted to watch him another night." Mary began to explain. "Bosco was certainly not happy about that either. He did everything he could think of to drive me crazy last night. I thought I would strangle him before he finally fell asleep. He had a low-grade temp around midnight. Then he was restless all night. He kept dreaming, pulling at things, and kicking the covers off with his good leg. I don't know who is more exhausted this morning, me or him."

"Has Dr. Poole been by?" Kathy questioned.

"He just left a few minutes ago. He ordered blood and urine cultures. So he's not going to the floor today either." Mary reported.

"What about his kidney function? They didn't dialyze him Sunday, right?" Kathy asked.

"No, but they did yesterday and should again today. His urine output has picked up some, but not enough." Mary answered.

"Ok, I guess I can take it from here. Go home, Mary, and get some rest. Are you off tonight? " Kathy questioned.

"No, unfortunately I'm working four in a row." Mary replied.

XXXXXXXX

Kathy was glad to see the 10:00 visiting hour finally arrive. In three short hours, Bosco had worn her down. No matter what she did, she couldn't please him. She saw his mother approaching with a middle-aged man Kathy had never seen before. "Hi Rose. How are you this morning?" She asked.

"I'm doing fine, Kathy. How is Maurice?" Rose questioned.

"He's not in a very good mood this morning. He has a low grade fever and I don't think he's feeling very well." Kathy answered.

"Oh" was Rose's reply, as she looked at the middle-aged man beside her.

"Maybe I should come back another time." Anthony Boscorelli suggested.

"No, Anthony. We already decided that you would visit him today. There's no use in putting it off." Rose replied.

Slowly they made their way into the room, only to be stopped by Bosco's cold glare. "WHAT IS HE DOING HERE?" He practically shouted.

"He just wanted to see how you were doing, Maurice. Calm down." Rose answered.

"Like he cares. He probably just saw my picture on the TV and thought he could capitalize on my misfortune." Bosco spat.

"Maurice. That's not so." Anthony corrected him. "I'm concerned about you."

"When have you ever been concerned about anyone but yourself, Dad? HUH?" Bosco scowled. "Get out."

"Maurice, you stop that this instant." Rose admonished.

"GET OUT!" he shouted. "I don't want him here." He said to Rose. Then looking back to Anthony again he shouted. "GET OUT! GET OUT RIGHT NOW!"

"Maurice, please." Rose pleaded.

"Its ok, Rosie" a dejected Anthony spoke. "I shouldn't have come. I'll go now and you visit." Anthony said as he turned to leave.

Rose followed him out of the room. "Anthony, I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into him." Rose apologized.

"No. Its ok, Rosie. I created this. And it's not going to just go away because I want it too. It's going to take time." Anthony replied. He bent down and gave Rose a quick hug. "I'll check back in with you later."

A heartbroken Rose turned back to the room ready to give Maurice a lecture. But when she saw his tear brimmed eyes as he played nervously with the sheet, her heart broke even further. 'Please God, help this family' she prayed silently.

XXXXXXXX

Kathy had been glad to see Tricia arrive shortly after the visiting hour with the dialysis machine. She would let Tricia occupy Bosco for a few minutes while she caught up with her charting. At least that had been her plan. But about 40 minutes into the dialysis, Bosco suddenly sat up in the bed and jerked the tubing for the oxygen off of his face. He then proceeded to sling his bed covers back with his good arm.

"Whoa, Officer!" Tricia half-shouted. "What are you doing?"

Kathy rose from her seat to see what was happening.

"I have to get out of here, get away from them." Bosco replied as he started trying to put the bed rail down.

"Get away from them? Who?" Kathy questioned as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"The wasps! Can't you see them?" Bosco questioned as he pointed toward his feet. "They're stinging me. Let me go." He insisted.

Kathy and Tricia gave each other questioning looks. Then Tricia looked up at the monitors, noticing that his blood pressure had dropped over the last few minutes to 85/50.

"There aren't any wasps in here, Bosco." Kathy assured him.

"Yes, there are. They're all under the covers. Let me out of here." He insisted as he grabbed for the bed rail again.

"You can't go anywhere Officer Boscorelli, until I get you unhooked from my machine." Tricia tried to calm him as she reached for a bag of IV fluids. She saw that Kathy had noticed the low blood pressure as well. "I'm going to give him a small fluid bolus and then stop the dialysis." She reported. Kathy just shook her head and turned back to Bosco.

"Just relax, Bosco." She instructed as she reached out to grab his hand that was on the bed rail.

When she did, Bosco jerked his arm away. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" He shouted. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" He continued, as he reached for the dialysis catheter that was projecting from the large vein in his right leg. He grabbed it and yanked on it just before Kathy could catch his hand. Pulling the catheter out, stitches and all, he slung blood across the room.

Tricia stood with her mouth open as Kathy tried to find something to stop the crimson flow of blood from Bosco's leg. Not satisfied with pulling the dialysis catheter out, Bosco now reached for the foley catheter.

Kathy abandoned her efforts to stop his bleeding and reached for his arm, managing to pin his arm down across his thigh just before he could yank on the foley. "NO!" She shouted. "DON'T PULL ON THAT!" Looking at Tricia she continued. "Tricia, help me! Go get some help."

As Tricia exited the room to find help, Bosco continue to struggle with Kathy. "Bosco, stop that! Be still! You don't want to pull on that! Trust me." Kathy exhorted.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Bosco shouted once again as he raised his casted left arm and swung it at Kathy.

Kathy managed to turn her head slightly to keep the blow from hitting her square in the face. However, the cast connected solidly just above her left eye. She and Bosco both screamed out in pain. Just as she thought she might pass out, she heard one of the male orderlies beside her. "Step back, Kathy. We've got him." The orderly said as he grabbed the officer's right arm keeping it pinned.

Another orderly pinned Bosco's upper body to the bed, as one of the nurses tied a restraint around his flailing right leg. Meanwhile, Bosco screamed at the top of his lungs accusing them of trying to kill him in one breath and cursing them in the next.

One of the other nurses finally burst into the room with a syringe. "I've got an order for Haldol," she reported as she quickly injected the medication through Bosco's IV. Bosco continued to fight for another few minutes, but then his motions gradually slowed. Finally his yelling subsided and he was reduced to pleading with them to stop. "Let me go. Please." He whimpered just before his eyes finally closed.

XXXXXXX

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters and places.

Collision Course, Chapter 41

After a few minutes, Kathy managed to compose herself. Looking into the mirror over the sink, she realized that she wasn't bleeding, although she did have a rather large angry lump forming above her eye. Reassured about her own welfare, she turned back toward her patient to make sure that he was ok.

Kathy could see that the Haldol had quickly taken effect. Bosco lay quietly, his right arm and leg in soft restraints. A makeshift restraint had been rigged to fit around his casted left arm to keep him from flailing it around. His blood pressure had been stabilized with a small bolus of fluids after he was off of the dialysis machine.

Linda, one of the other day nurses, was holding a gauze pad over Bosco's right thigh, trying to stop the bleeding. She looked up at Kathy with a soft smile. "You should go get some ice for your head. You're going to have quite a lump there."

Kathy shook her head. "I'm fine. I need to call Dr. Poole and tell him what's going on." Looking down at the blood soaked bandage, she asked, "Is it still bleeding?"

"It's almost stopped. If you'll get me some more gauze pads, I think we can put a pressure bandage on it and it should be fine. And don't worry about Dr. Poole. He's on his way." Linda replied.

When they finished dressing the catheter site, Linda helped Kathy clean Bosco up. Luckily, the bed pad under him and his hospital gown absorbed most of the blood. Once they had changed the bed pad and retied the restraints, Linda went back to her own patients. As Kathy changed Bosco's hospital gown, she realized that he felt very warm. And when she checked, his temperature was almost 102 degrees. Kathy sighed. "I can't even take a couple of days off without you finding trouble; can I, Officer Bosco?"

Kathy looked up to see Dr. Poole stop off at the desk to answer a page. After a brief conversation he turned and entered Bosco's room. "That was the Micro lab. The gram stain from his blood cultures is positive. Looks like he may have a Staph infection. That's probably why his blood pressure dropped." Tim shook his head. "Must have come from the IV lines or the dialysis catheter. But I'll ask Ortho to take a good look at his leg wound just in case it's infected. Poor guy. If it's not one thing it's another with him. We'll have to change his IV's out and d/c the dialysis catheter. I can place another one when it looks like he might tolerate it again."

"You don't have to worry about discontinuing the dialysis catheter. He already took care of that for us. Tried to d/c the foley too." Kathy reported.

"Yeah, I heard he got a little rowdy. How's your head?" Tim asked with a sympathetic smile.

"Luckily my head was harder than that cast." Kathy replied dryly.

Tim laughed slightly. "How is his blood pressure doing now?" he asked.

"It's been stable since the fluid bolus." Kathy answered.

"Good. It was looking as if his kidney was about to start to recover. I don't know if it could stand another blow." Tim moved forward and started to examine his patient. When he felt how hot he was, he gave Kathy a questioning look.

"102" Kathy reported. " I was just about to give him some tylenol."

XXXXXXXX

Rose called Mikey, Anthony, and Faith to update them on the change in Bosco's condition. Dr. Poole had explained to her that he had an infection in his blood. And because of it, he didn't tolerate dialysis. He had become confused and combative, and they had to sedate him. Now he was resting, but he had a high fever. They had changed his antibiotics once again.

Faith had assured her that she would let John Sullivan and the others know what was going on. Now Rose waited for the next visiting hour, wondering what she would find when it came. She wasn't sure how much more Maurice could take, or how much she could take for that matter. The long hours at the hospital and constant worry were taking their toll on her. She was almost ashamed to think that what she needed right about now was a good stiff drink.

XXXXXXXX

The next few hours remained uneventful. The Orthopedic surgeon had examined Bosco's leg wound and said that it was healing nicely. It didn't appear to be infected. Bosco's blood pressure had remained stable, although he still had a fever. He mumbled incoherently at times, occasionally pulling on the restraints. As the visiting hour approached, Kathy awaited Rose's arrival. Dr. Poole had decided that only immediate family should visit for now.

Kathy greeted Rose when she entered the ICU and updated her again on her son's condition. Rose, noticing the dark purple lump on Kathy's forehead asked, "What in the world happened to your head?"

"Oh, that's nothing." Kathy replied. "Maurice hit me with his cast during all the confusion earlier."

"Maurice hit you?" Rose asked in astonishment. "I'm so sorry." Rose muttered.

"Well, he didn't actually hit me on purpose. I don't think he knew what he was doing." Kathy answered.

"Oh dear, Maurice would be horrified. He can't stand to see anyone hit a woman." Rose exclaimed.

"Well, there was no real harm done. Fortunately, I have a very hard head." Kathy tried to reassure an obviously shaken Rose.

Rose cautiously approached the hospital bed, noticing the restraints that subdued her son. Although his eyes were closed, he tugged against the restraint on his right arm and shook his head back and forth as if saying 'no' to something. Moving closer, she could hear him mumbling something about getting 'them' away from him. She watched as he kicked at the covers with his right foot.

"Maurice" she whispered, as she placed her hands over his struggling arm. She was shocked to feel how warm his skin was. "Maurice, it's ok. Just relax, baby." She coaxed. He shook his head again and mumbled something about 'the snakes.'

Seeing him again kicking at the covers, Rose moved to the foot of the bed and pulled the top sheet back. As he struggled against the restraint on his right ankle, Rose noticed the large wrinkle in the sheet that was just under his heel. She quickly pulled on the sheet, smoothing the wrinkle out. Then she patted her son's leg as she reassured him. "There now, baby. It's all gone. There aren't any snakes in here." Bosco immediately calmed.

Rose replaced the top sheet and once again approached his side. She took a damp cloth that hung over the bed rail and wiped Bosco's brow as she continued to whisper comforting words.

XXXXXXXX

Maritza Cruz stood outside of the ICU waiting for Rose to exit. She had been coming by at 2:00 on most days and Rose was usually nice enough to let her go in for a few minutes. She was actually expecting Bosco to be in a regular room today. And the longer she waited on Rose, the more concerned she became. When Rose finally did exit the ICU, the look on her face didn't offer Cruz any relief.

"Is something wrong, Mrs. Boscorelli?" she asked quickly.

"Oh hi, Maritza. I didn't know that you were out here. They are only letting immediate family in right now." At the confused look on Cruz's face, Rose questioned, "Didn't Faith call you?"

"No, Yokas didn't call me. What's going on?" Cruz asked, the urgency in her voice increasing.

"Oh, I'm sorry, dear. I assumed that Faith would call you along with Maurice's other coworkers. He's had a little setback. Apparently he has an infection in his blood. He has a high fever and has been confused. That's why they wanted to limit his visitors." Rose explained. "Are you ok, dear?" Rose asked the now silent Cruz.

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, Mrs. B. I'm just a little surprised I guess. I mean he was doing so well." Cruz replied.

"I know." Rose said sadly. "I'm really worried about him." She admitted.

"Bosco's tough, Mrs. B. I'm sure he'll be fine." Cruz reassured her. 'A lot better than Yokas is going to be when I get through with her.' She added silently.


	17. Chapters 42 to 43

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters or places.  
Collision Course, Chapter 42

As roll call ended, Cruz hurried to catch up with Faith. "Yokas, wait up! I need a word with you." She half-shouted.

"And I need to get to work, Sarg." Faith replied as she climbed up behind the front desk. She turned around and stared down at Cruz, the look on her face asking 'What?' 

"Why didn't you call me and tell me what was going on with Bosco? I know you called the others." Cruz demanded.

"Well, I contacted people on a need-to-know basis." Faith paused, then smiled a menacing smile. "Maybe, I didn't think you needed to know."

Cruz was a bit taken back initially by Faith's answer. When she finally regained her voice, she replied angrily, "Look Yokas! Whether you like it or not, I care about Bosco. You're not going to change that. AND I AM STILL HIS SARGEANT. SO YES, I NEEDED TO KNOW." Cruz's voice escalated as she spoke.

"Well then be sure that Rose knows to call you from now on, because it's not my job to keep you updated, SARGEANT." Faith retorted.

Just as Cruz opened her mouth to respond, Lieutenant Swersky walked up and cleared his throat. "Is there a problem here, Ladies?"

"No problem, Lieu." Yokas replied with a smirk. If looks could kill, Faith was sure she would have fallen dead on the spot. But Cruz didn't reply. She just turned and stalked away.

Faith watched with a satisfied grin on her face, until the Lieutenant cleared his voice again.

"Get back to work, Yokas." He ordered. _This is going to be a long night_ he thought. 

XXXXXXXX

After almost an hour of total silence from Cruz, Monroe decided to test the waters. "Sarg?" she questioned. Cruz just looked at her. "Are you ok?" Monroe continued.

"I'm fine!" Cruz snapped.

"Ok" Sasha said defensively. After another few minutes she hesitantly spoke again. "I guess I should have gone to visit Bosco yesterday."

"What?" Cruz questioned, as hearing Bosco's name snapped her out of her trance. 

"I said, I guess I should have visited Bosco yesterday. But I wanted to wait until he was moved to a regular room. I just didn't want to see him in the ICU like that. And now he's worse again. I should have gone to see him while I had the chance." Sasha stated. 

"What is it with everyone today? Bosco is a lot stronger than anyone gives him credit for being. He's gonna be fine. This is just a little set back." Cruz replied.

Monroe wasn't sure who Cruz was trying to convince. "I'm sure he will be, Sarg. I just regret that I didn't go see him." Sasha answered. She soon decided that maybe it was best to just be quiet and leave Cruz alone. "Great. This is going to be a long night," she mumbled. 

XXXXXXXX

Ty and Sully slowly approached the ICU waiting area. It was just after the 6PM visiting hour and Sully had insisted that they stop and check on Bosco, even if they couldn't go in. Ty suspected that he was actually checking on Rose.

They entered the waiting area to see a weary appearing Rose Boscorelli as she exited the ICU.

"Hi, Rose." Sully smiled at her as Ty rolled his eyes. "How's he doing tonight?" Sully asked. 

"Hello, John. I didn't really expect anyone to come by tonight. There hasn't been much change. He still has a fever and he's very restless." Rose answered.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Sully replied. "Look, Davis and I are on our meal break and we wondered if you had eaten anything yet. We could go down to the cafeteria or to the little place across the street." Sully suggested.

_Smooth one, Sul_. Ty wondered he had come to be included in that.

"Oh, that's nice of you, John. But Anthony and Michael are on their way over now. We're all going over to Dominic's. They both insisted that I get out of the hospital for a while." Rose replied.

"They're probably right." Sully responded. "Well, I guess we had better get going. We just wanted to check on Maurice."

"Thank you so much for stopping by, John. And you too, Officer Davis."

"You're welcome, Maam." Ty replied.

Ty watched as Sully said goodbye to Rose and exited the waiting area. He could tell by his slumped shoulders how disappointed he was. _Boy, this is going to be a long night_. Ty thought.

XXXXXXXX

Mary hurried into the ICU at 7:05 PM. She had been exhausted and didn't hear the alarm on her clock. "I'm sorry I'm late." She quickly explained what had happened to Kathy.

"I'm just thankful that you're here." Kathy replied.

"I guess that means that your day didn't go much better than my night last night. What happened to your head?" Mary asked.

Kathy filled Mary in on the day's events. Yawning, she finally wished Mary good luck and said goodbye.

Mary slowly entered Bosco's room to see if indeed her patient was in as bad a shape as Kathy had suggested. What she found was actually worse than she expected. Bosco lay under a cooling blanket, shivering and mumbling to himself. His latest temperature was 103 degrees. His heart rate was up and his breathing was fast. His hair was wet and curled up around the edges. His face was pale except for a slight redness to his cheeks. As she pulled the cooling blanket back to examine him, his eyes shot open and he let out a loud moan.

Mary stood frozen for a moment, looking into Bosco's deep blue eyes. His eyes were glazed over and Mary wasn't sure if he was registering her at all until he tried to speak. "M…M….Mary" He muttered between shivers.

"What is it, Bosco?" she whispered as she smoothed his hair back from his forehead with her fingertips.

"C…C…Cold" Bosco mumbled.

"I know, Bosco. But you've got a fever and we're trying to get it down, ok." Mary soothed.

"M…Mary….h….help… me." Bosco pleaded.

"Shhh… it's ok, Bosco. You just rest. Mary's gonna take good care of you." She assured him. She stood at his bedside for a long time with one hand on his arm and the other gently stroking his forehead. Despite the tough act that she put on in the ER, she really did care about the police officers and medics that she came into contact with. And truth be known, Bosco was one of her favorites. She had had a very difficult time during the first few days after he nearly died in the ER. And seeing him like this broke her heart. _Oh Bosco, it's going to be a long night._ Mary thought sadly.

XXXXXXXX

Faith had just returned from her meal break when the call came through. Another 10-13. It was the first one since Bosco's accident. And it sent shivers down Faith's spine. After a moment, she realized that she recognized that voice. It was Monroe saying that they had an officer down and calling for a bus.

Faith notified FDNY to dispatch an ambulance to the location. Then she caught the Lieutenant's attention as he rushed by. "Wait up, Lieu. Do you need a driver?" She wasn't sure why she asked or if she really even cared. She knew that Cruz was riding with Monroe tonight.

"Hurry up" was Swersky's only reply.

XXXXXXXX

"Cruz, talk to me. Open your eyes." Sasha pleaded. "Come on Maritza. Open your eyes!"

"Monroe, what's going on?" Sully questioned as he and Ty approached the scene.

Sasha looked up quickly. "We stopped a couple of guys we suspected of dealing. And one of them clocked Cruz and then kicked her in the stomach."

Sully knelt down beside the two. Cruz was propped up against the back tire or her RMP with blood trickling down her forehead from just above her left eye. "Sarg, can you hear me?" Sully questioned. Cruz groaned slightly and brought her hand up to her forehead.

"Take it easy, Sarg." Sully instructed as he rose to go meet the arriving ambulance.

Kim and Carlos hurried toward the scene. "What have we got, Sul?" Kim questioned.

"Sergeant Cruz" Sully replied. "She was clocked by some perp that they stopped. Looks like she was out cold for a few."

"You guys just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Kim joked.

"It sure doesn't look like it." Sully answered.

Kim knelt down beside a very unhappy, now conscious Cruz. "Sergeant, can you tell me what happened?"

"I can tell you what's going to happen when I find Leroy." Cruz grumbled. Pushing a very concerned Monroe away, she continued "Move Monroe. Let me up."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Sarg." Monroe answered. 

"Yeah, well I don't think I asked you." Cruz replied as she pushed herself to a standing position. She swayed slightly, and then moved her left hand up over her ribs.

"You should take it easy, Sarg. Let the medics look at you." Sasha encouraged. 

"We're gonna need to take you in to get checked out." Kim reported as she placed as steadying hand on Cruz's right arm. 

Along with other numerous officers that had responded to the call, Swersky and Faith approached.

"I'm fine." Cruz grumbled again. "I don't need to go anywhere."

"Sarg, he kicked you in the stomach." Sasha argued. "What about the baby?" She continued without considering all of the onlookers. 

Cruz glared at Sasha, who now realized that she had revealed Cruz's secret.

"What baby?" Kim questioned.

"I'm pregnant." Cruz muttered angrily. "Come on if you're going to take me in." She ordered, as she headed towards the bus.

Sully, Ty, Faith, and Lieutenant Swersky all stood in shocked silence as Sasha suddenly found the ground very interesting.

"She's pregnant?" Faith finally asked the question that everyone else was thinking. 

Collision Course, Chapter 43

Faith sat in the ER, staring at the floor while Lieutenant Swersky questioned Monroe about what had happened. The doctor was in examining Cruz.

_Pregnant. Cruz pregnant. Maritza Cruz pregnant._

Faith was captured by this one thought. She couldn't imagine Cruz with a child. She couldn't even imagine that Cruz would want a child. What was the she-demon going to do with a child? And better yet, who would be crazy enough to get Cruz pregnant? Who would be crazy enough to even sleep with Cruz? Well, with the exception of Bosco.

_BOSCO! No. No, it couldn't be Bosco. He wouldn't go back to Cruz. Not after what she did to me. Not after what she did to us. He wouldn't. Would he?_

Faith thought about the days since Bosco's accident. She thought about how Cruz had been visibly shaken at the scene. How concerned she had seemed. The tears she'd seen her cry. The prayer she'd seen her offer. She knew that Cruz had visited Bosco almost every day. She thought about how angry Cruz had been earlier today that Faith hadn't informed her that Bosco was worse. And the more she thought about Cruz's reactions, the angrier she became.

_BOSCO! How dare you go back to her after what she did to me? How dare you? I'll kill you myself if this child is yours._

XXXXXXXX

Maritza Cruz lay on the examining table as the obstetrician on call spread the cold gel for the ultrasound over her abdomen. The cut above her eye had already been stitched.

She had felt so ashamed when Monroe had blurted out that she was pregnant. She could almost feel the cold stares of her coworkers. Hear their unspoken accusations. And she was ashamed. She was so ashamed that she almost wished that she would loose this baby. For the first time in weeks she doubted her decision to go on with this pregnancy.

"Everything looks fine, Sergeant." The doctor announced.

"What?" Cruz looked up in question.

"I said everything is fine. The baby's ok. See." He pointed to the screen.

Maritza looked up to see the small form on the monitor. She could see her feet and little toes. She could see the baby's tiny hand held up to her mouth. "Is she…."

"She's sucking on her hand." The doctor announced with a smile.

A large tear rolled down Maritza's cheek. _I'm sorry little bambina. Mama's so sorry._ Again she was ashamed, but this time she was ashamed of her doubts and fears.

XXXXXXXX

"Faith? Faith?" Faith finally looked up to see Monroe standing over her calling her name.

"What, Sasha?" she asked.

"I said, I'm going up to check on Bosco while the Lieutenant is talking to Cruz. Do you want to come with me?" Sasha replied. 

"Oh….. No. No, I'll just stay here." Faith muttered. 

XXXXXXXX

Cruz was hesitant to look the Lieutenant in the eye as he glared at her and paced back and forth across the room. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, MARITZA?" Dave Swersky yelled.

Cruz looked down at her feet, but didn't reply.

Swersky took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? Huh? You should never have been on the streets. Well?" Swersky questioned.

"I don't know Lieu. I guess I wasn't thinking about it." Cruz answered.

"You weren't thinking alright." Swersky spat.

"I'm sorry." Cruz replied.

Dave Swersky just shook his head. Finding out that Cruz was pregnant was like a bomb being dropped. He was completely astonished. He only hoped that this mess didn't involve one of his other officers, one officer in particular that he had in mind. With the way things had gone over the last year, that would be certain to cause trouble. He knew that it probably wasn't really any of his business, but he didn't want to wait for the other shoe to drop. "Cruz…." Swersky stalled, not sure how to ask what he was about to ask.

"Yeah, Lieu." Cruz looked up at him.

"This may be none of my business, but I need to know who the father is." Swersky stated bluntly.

Cruz took a deep breath as her temper tried to get the best of her. "You're right, Lieutenant. It isn't any of your business." She replied gruffly.

Swersky's gaze met hers. "Is it Boscorelli?" he asked.

Cruz was too shocked to speak initially. Then as she processed the lieutenant's assumption, she let out a half-hearted laugh. "Hahaha. I wish, Lieu." At Swerky's confused look, she continued. "I'd much rather my child have Boscorelli for a father than a rapist." She said coldly.

The lieutenant stared at her for a moment, before understanding showed on his face. "Warner?" he questioned. 

Cruz shook her head to say yes and looked back down at her feet, suddenly feeling very ashamed again.

Swersky approached her slowly and placed his hand over her arm. She flinched at his touch. "I'm sorry." He finally managed. "I had no idea." 

"It's ok." Cruz said softly. "Lieu?"

"Yeah?" Swerky's voice was just as soft.

"Can we keep this just between us?" Cruz pleaded.

"Of course. Certainly. There's no need for anyone else to know." Swersky replied, giving her arm a gentle squeeze.

XXXXXXXX

Sasha pulled the RMP to a stop outside of Cruz's apartment. Glancing over at Cruz, she saw the lost look on her face. "Sarg?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah." Cruz replied as she looked up and noticed where they were.

"I'm sorry." Monroe whispered.

"It's ok. It's not like I would be able to hide it much longer anyway." Cruz replied. "Goodnight, Monroe." She stated simply as she opened the car door.

"You have a few days off?" Monroe questioned. 

"Yeah, doctors orders." Cruz answered.

"Let me know if you need anything." Sasha urged.

XXXXXXXX

"Faith, is something wrong, honey?" Fred approached Faith cautiously. 

"WHAT? Nothing's wrong, Fred. Why?" Faith snapped. 

"Well, you came in slamming the front door, slammed every cabinet in the kitchen, and haven't said a word in over an hour?" Fred commented.

"Maritza Cruz is pregnant!" Faith exclaimed.

"Really? And you're mad about that?" Fred questioned.

"She's pregnant, Fred. Cruz. Who would get Cruz pregnant, Fred?" Faith grumbled.

"Well, I….I don't know, honey." Fred replied defensively, almost as if Faith were accusing him of the deed.

"BOSCO!" Faith shouted. 

"Bosco? Did she tell you that?" Fred asked.

"No Fred! But who else would be dumb enough to sleep with her?" Faith questioned.

"Well, I don't know, babe. I mean she is a beautiful woman. I could imagine that I lot of guys might be interested." Fred said innocently.

"BEAUTIFUL! IS THAT SO, FRED? BEAUTIFUL! THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE WOMAN WHO ALMOST KILLED ME!" Faith shouted.

"I… I didn't mean it like that, babe. No, I mean… she's pretty and all, but no. I don't think she's ….beautiful. Not really. I mean… she has that scowl about her, you know." Fred stuttered along, trying to talk his way out of the mess he'd created.

"SHUT UP, FRED!" Faith shouted. Turning she stalked down the hall and slammed the bedroom door. Fred sighed and took a deep breath. _Idiot! You big stupid idiot._ He berated himself.

Hearing the door to the bedroom open, he turned toward the hall, hoping that Faith had calmed down. But as he turned, a pillow flying through the air smacked him in the head. "I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE COUCH! GOODNIGHT!" Faith screamed and turned back to their room.


	18. Chapters 44 and 45

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them.

Collision Course, Chapter 44

Fred tiptoed into the bedroom to retrieve his clothes for work. It was almost time to get Charlie and Em up for school. He was hoping that they wouldn't wake Faith. He really didn't want to face her this morning. He quickly grabbed his delivery uniform from the open closet and then headed across the room to the dresser. He gave the top drawer a quick tug. He froze with his hand halfway in the drawer when he heard Faith turning over. Fortunately, her eyes remained closed. Fred let out a breath, quickly retrieving a pair of socks and his underclothes. Leaving the drawer open, he turned and hastily escaped the room.

As Fred turned the shower on, he began to think about his conversation with Faith the night before. And for the first time in a long time, he actually felt sorry for Bosco. Faith could be really scary when she was angry. Fred only hoped that Faith would have mercy on Bosco for now since the poor guy was still in the ICU.

XXXXXXXX

Mary jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She had been sitting at the small table outside of Bosco's room charting and waiting for the shift change.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Kathy apologized.

"I must have zoned out." Mary replied. "It's been a crazy night."

"He looks pretty peaceful right now." Kathy observed.

"He's been resting since his fever broke around 4:00, but the rest of the night was a constant battle." Mary reported. "Poor guy moaned and groaned literally all night. If he fell asleep for a few minutes, he would wake up screaming for me to get down or to run or yelling for Faith, Monroe, or Sergeant Cruz. I had to physically hold him down twice to keep him in the bed, even with the restraints."

"No wonder you look exhausted." Kathy smiled.

"I'm getting to old for this." Mary replied with a sigh.

XXXXXXXX

Davis adjusted his gun belt and wondered over towards Monroe's locker. "So Cruz is pregnant?" He asked with a sly smile on his face.

"Yeah" Monroe replied and went about tying her shoelaces.

Ty cleared his throat. "I didn't even know she was seeing anyone. Well, except for maybe Bosco. But that was a while back, right?"

Sasha knew that Ty was fishing for information. "Listen Davis, if Cruz wants you to know anything about her pregnancy, she will tell you." With that, she turned and walked out the door.

As Sasha exited, Faith hurried in.

"Running late, Yokas?" Sully commented.

"Yeah, I forgot to set my alarm clock last night. Then I just couldn't seem to get going this morning." Faith replied.

XXXXXXXX

Thankfully, Kathy's day had been uneventful so far. Bosco had been asleep since her shift started. Rose didn't even attempt to wake him during either of the visiting hours. She was just happy to see him resting. His temperature had remained below 100 degrees. His heart rate and blood pressure had remained stable. However, Kathy was a bit concerned about his urine output.

As Kathy pulled the pillow from behind him in order to turn him from his side onto his back, he let out a slight moan. She looked up to see his blue eyes flutter open. "Sorry" she said softly.

Bosco licked his dry lips and mumbled "s'okay." He blinked a couple of times as if trying to get himself more awake.

"How are you feeling?" Kathy asked.

"Thirsty" Bosco muttered.

"Let's put your head up, and I'll get you some water." Kathy replied, as she started to raise the head of the bed. "What?" she questioned when she noticed Bosco's frown.

"What happened to your head?" Bosco asked her, looking at the large bruise over her eye.

"Oh that…" Kathy hesitated as she remembered what Rose had told her. "That's nothing. I ran into a cabinet door last night. I always was a klutz."

Bosco was suspicious of that story, having heard similar excuses from his mother for years, but he didn't question Kathy further. "You should be more careful." He admonished.

Kathy just shook her head and proceeded to pour him a glass of water.

XXXXXXXX

Ty had been making small talk with Sully since the shift started, but Sully could tell he had something on his mind and he suspected that he knew what that something was.

"So…" Ty began. "That was some surprise about Cruz, huh?"  
_  
There it is._

Sully sighed. "Yeah" he replied, not really wanting to talk about a fellow officer.

"Yeah?" Ty looked as Sully as if he were expecting him to say more.

"Yeah" Sully repeated gruffly.

"What, you don't think it's interesting? I wonder who the lucky father might be?" Ty wanted to know if Sully was thinking the same thing he was.

"The 'lucky father' would be none of our business." Sully replied. "What is this, junior high?"

"Oh, come on, Sul. You have to be curious." Ty prodded.

"No, I'm not curious. That's Cruz's business." Sully responded.

Ty was quiet for a few moments. "You know she's been really attentive to Bosco since the accident. I think she's been to the hospital every day." Ty continued.

"So what? Maybe she's just concerned about him like the rest of us." Sully grumbled.

"Or maybe he's the lucky father-to-be?" Ty suggested.

"TY!!!! That's ridiculous." Sully half-shouted.

"What? Why is it ridiculous, Sul?" Ty questioned.

"Bosco's already been burned by Cruz once, Ty. I don't think he would go back for seconds." Sully argued.

"Sul, this is Bosco we're talking about. And, well, Cruz is hot." Ty admitted.

Sully just shook his head.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 45

Day 13, 2:01 PM

Sasha hesitantly approached the ICU waiting area. It had been two days since Bosco's little set back. She had talked to Rose Boscorelli earlier this morning. Rose had assured her that he was doing much better and that he'd be glad to see a different face.

Sasha didn't know why she was so nervous. This was just Bosco. She'd seen him during the first week that he was in the ICU, but he was still out of it then.

She entered the ICU waiting area to find Rose reading a magazine. "Mrs.Boscorelli" she called out.

"Oh, hello, dear. How are you?" Rose asked with a smile.

"I'm fine." Sasha replied as she rocked nervously back and forth on her heels.

"That's good, dear. They just announced the visiting hour. Why don't you go on in for a few minutes while I go make a few phone calls." Rose suggested.

"Oh, ok. Thanks." Sasha responded.

XXXXXXXX

Sasha stood at the doorway to Bosco's room listening to Bosco and his nurse laughing.

As Kathy turned to carry a basin of water to the sink, she noticed Sasha. "Watch out" she warned. "He's in rare form today."

"Thanks for the warning." Sasha replied. She took a step forward then hesitated as Bosco glanced up at her.

After a moment of silent staring, Bosco cleared his throat. "You gonna come in or just stand there?"

Sasha approached the bedside, looking Bosco over as she did. Considering the seriousness of his injuries and the difficulties of the last few days, Bosco looked remarkably well. The bruises around his eye and forehead were a mixture of fading purple, yellow, and green. He still had to use oxygen, but at least that little tube was a lot better than the ventilator. And he had a little mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Hey, Bos. How are you feeling?" Sasha asked.

"I feel like a new man. Got the last of my stitches out today." He said, as he pointed to his forehead. "Got a clean shave, thanks to a pretty little nurse." Bosco winked at Kathy as she rolled her eyes on her way out of the room. Sasha couldn't help but laugh.

"Still flirting with the ladies. Huh, Bosco." Sasha chided, as she reached out to wipe a missed bit of shaving cream from Bosco's cheek. Her finger lingered for a moment, as tears began to well in her eyes.

"Sasha" Bosco whispered. "Don't. It's ok. I'm ok."

Sasha pulled her hand back to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry, Bosco. I told myself I wasn't going to do this."

Bosco wiped roughly at his own eyes. "Come on, Monroe. You're going to make me think you actually like me if you keep acting like this."

Sasha chuckled lightly. "Well, we can't have that. Can we, Boscorelli?"

"No we can't." Bosco answered, as he patted Sasha's hand lightly.

XXXXXXXX

Maritza Cruz came by during the 6:00 visiting hour. Bosco was sitting up in a chair, watching a basketball game on TV. "NO! NO! AHHHHHHHHH!" Bosco screamed at the play on the screen, spilling water from the cup he held in his hand.

Cruz cleared her throat to get his attention. "Somebody must be feeling a lot better." She noted.

"Oh, hey, Ritza." Bosco replied as he glanced up at her. He was about to look back at the TV screen, but instead took a second look at Maritza's face. "What happened to you?" he asked worriedly.

"Oh, it's nothing. I ran into a cabinet door yesterday." Cruz lied.

"Hmph…. there must be an epidemic of that going on." Bosco retorted.

"What?" Cruz looked at him confused.

"You didn't get that from a cabinet door, Ritza. What happened?"

Cruz sighed and sat in a chair beside Bosco. "I just had a little scuffle with a perp. That's all."

"A little scuffle? That's all?" Bosco asked. "Are you ok? I mean, is the baby ok?"

"Yeah, Bosco. I'm fine and the baby's fine." Cruz assured him.

"You shouldn't have been on the street."

"Funny, Swersky said the same thing." Cruz smirked.

"You told Swersky?" Bosco questioned.

"No. Monroe told him along with about half of the precinct." Maritza told him then what had happened with the perp and then what had happened with Monroe.

"Swersky actually asked me if you were the father?" She reported.

At this revelation, Bosco spewed the sip of water that he had just taken all over his lap. He coughed a few times, then cleared his throat. "He actually asked you that?"

"Yeah, Bosco. He did. I'm sure everyone else will be speculating about who the father is as well. I'm sorry." Cruz apologized.

"Sorry for what? Are you afraid your going to ruin my sterling reputation?" Bosco smirked.

A slight smile crossed Maritza's lips and she laughed slightly. Then she became serious again. "There may be other people who think that this baby is yours, Bosco."

"So what? Let them think whatever they want too. It doesn't matter." Bosco reached out and covered Cruz's hand with his. "Ritza, look at me. You don't have to tell anyone what happened. It doesn't matter what they think. And I don't care."

XXXXXXXX

Day 14, 7:15 AM

Bosco fidgeted with his sheet as Kathy hurried about making sure that they were prepared to go downstairs. "It's not going to hurt, is it?" Bosco asked nervously.

"Well, it might hurt a little. But I'm sure they will give you some numbing medicine." Kathy replied.

Bosco swallowed hard, then smiled nervously.

"Just relax, Bosco. Dr. John is an excellent doctor and he does these procedures all the time. It will be over with before you know it."

"Do they really have to put it in my chest?" Bosco questioned.

"It's not going in your chest. It's going into the vein under your collar bone." Kathy explained.

"But his assistant said that there was a chance they could poke a hole in my lung." Bosco reminded her.

"They have to tell you all the things that could happen, even if they are extremely rare. Dr. John places dialysis catheters every day, Bosco. Besides you've had one placed before." Kathy replied.

"Yeah, but I wasn't awake for that." Bosco countered.

Kathy sighed, hoping that escort would come soon, before Officer Boscorelli changed his mind about going down. He was getting more restless and more irritable by the minute.

XXXXXXXX

Bosco braced himself as the orderly gripped the sheet under him and proceeded to drag him from the gurney onto the table in radiology. "Ahh" he let out a soft groan.

Kathy's head appeared above him. "You doing ok?" she asked.

"Table's cold. And hard as a brick." He replied. Kathy could see the fear in his eyes.

"Hello, Off-i-cer." Another face that he didn't recognize appeared above him speaking in a Middle Eastern accent. "I am Doctor John."

Bosco frowned at the man. Surely this towel head wasn't the one that was supposed to do this procedure. "What? Did you change your name thinking you could pass for an American? Guess what, pal. It didn't work. Where are you from anyway? Iraq?"

"Silly American. I am from India. And my name has not changed. I'm from the Christian province of India. My father and my grandfather were both John. After the apostle." Dr. John replied with a smile.

Bosco gave him a questioning look. _Christian province?  
_  
"Ok. Are we ready to get started, Off-i-cer?" Bosco jumped as the doctor reached down to palpate the area around his collarbone. _No, we're not ready to get started_.

Dr. John adjusted the screen above him, then took a sponge soaked with betadine off of a tray. "Ok, now for the clean stuff, Off-i-cer." He said as he painted Bosco's chest with the cold liquid.

"Ok, turn your head to the left." He ordered as he pushed Bosco's chin away from him.

He hurriedly threw a large drape with a hole in the center over the area where he intended to place the dialysis catheter. When he did, the top portion of the drape covered Bosco's head and face. He went about readying his supplies, oblivious to the quickening of his patient's breathing and the increase in his heart rate on the portable monitor.

"Ok, Off-i-cer. A little stick like a bee sting." He warned as he brought the needle towards Bosco.

"W….w…ait!" Bosco shouted as he frantically pawed at the drape. "Get it off!" he shouted once more.

"Off-i-cer, stop that. Do not move. If you move, I will poke your lung out." Dr. John warned.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! KATHY! Kathy! Help me! I can't breath!" Bosco continued to shout as he finally freed him self from the drape.

"Bosco, calm down." Kathy urged. "You're ok. Just calm down."

"I… I can't breath."

"You're just hyperventilating. Just take some slow deep breaths. You're ok." Kathy assured him.

Dr. John looked on in shock.

After several minutes, Bosco's breathing and heart rate had calmed somewhat. "I can't do this. I can't stand that thing over my head. Let's just go." Bosco begged Kathy.

"Just let me talk to Dr. John for a minute, ok." Kathy replied, then walked over and motioned for Dr. John to follow her outside. She gave him a little insight into Bosco's past and his panic attacks. A few minutes later Kathy reentered the room.

The fear was still evident on Bosco's face. "Kathy, let's just go. I don't want to do this. Can't we wait until tomorrow? They can do the dialysis tomorrow."

"Bosco, its ok. Dr. John is going to give you something to help relax you." Kathy replied.

"No! I don't want anything to relax me. I just want to go back upstairs. Please." Bosco pleaded.

Dr. John appeared at his side with a syringe. "Relax, Off-i-cer. Close your eyes. Count the lamb."

"Wait! What is that?" Bosco exclaimed as Dr. John hooked the syringe to his IV.

"This is the happy juice, Off-i-cer." Dr. John reported.

"Happy juice my a…mmmummm…" Bosco's reply was cut short by Kathy's hand clamping over his mouth.

"Bosco, be nice. Dr. John isn't going to hurt you." She assured him as she removed her hand. "Just close your eyes. You won't remember a thing."

"No….no…no. I don't want to close my eyes. I don't ….want….to….don't…want…." Bosco was reduced to mumbling as Kathy saw him struggling to keep his eyes open.


	19. Chapters 46 and 47

Collision Course, Chapter 46

"Well, it's about time you woke up, sleepyhead." Kathy teased, when she saw Bosco open his eyes.

Bosco blinked several times and looked around the room. He was surprised to find that he was back in the ICU. He yawned and brought his hand up to his aching chest. Feeling a bandage under his hospital gown, he began to pull at the cloth and crane his neck curiously.

"Don't pull at that." Kathy ordered as she reached for his hand. Bosco scowled at her, remembering the 'happy juice.'

"And I thought you were on my side." He grumbled.

Kathy grinned and said, "Of course I'm on your side, Off-i-cer."

Bosco wasn't amused. "Is my lung ok?"

"Of course your lung is ok, silly. Everything went smoothly. And you had a nice nap to boot. It's almost 10:00. You should have visitors in a few minutes. And then it will be time for dialysis." Kathy replied.

Bosco yawned once more and brought his hand up to rub his eyes. He stopped and stared at his wrist for a long time when he noticed that there was no line attached to his IV.

"Dr. Poole wanted to discontinue the pain pump." She reported when she saw his confusion.

"I can't have any pain medicine?" Bosco asked with a frown.

"Now, Bosco, do you really think we would make you go without pain medicine. He changed it to a patch. See." She replied as she pulled his gown back and pointed to the patch that was opposite the dialysis catheter. "This way the only thing you will be getting through the IV is your antibiotics."

Kathy heard voices outside the door and turned to look back. "Looks like you have visitors. I'll leave you alone now."

As Kathy walked out, Bosco was a bit surprised to see who his visitors were.

"Good morning, Maurice. How did the procedure go?" Rose asked.

"Fine a guess." Bosco mumbled.

"Hey, Bosco. How's it going?"

"It's going fine, Sul. How about you?" Bosco answered.

Rose could sense the hesitation in his voice. "Officer Sullivan came by to have breakfast with me downstairs and I thought you might like to see him." Rose reported.

Bosco just looked at his mother and then back at Sully. _Breakfast?_ "Um…that was nice of you, Sul." _I guess._

They chatted for a while over this and that. Finally Rose cleared her throat. "Maurice, your father…"

"I don't want to talk about Dad, Ma." Bosco interrupted her.

"Maurice, please." Rose tried again.

"Don't think I'm going to be nice because Sully's here, Ma. I don't want to see Dad. And I'm not going to discuss it."

XXXXXXXX

Bosco was about an hour into dialysis when Dr. Poole entered the room. "Hello, Officer Boscorelli. I see that you're tolerating dialysis ok."

"Yeah, it's going just grand." Bosco replied sarcastically.

"Well, it's a necessary evil for now. But I may have some good news for you." Tim Poole continued.

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Bosco asked. Kathy looked on curiously.

"How would you like to move to a regular room this afternoon?"

"A regular room? That… that'd be nice, I guess." Bosco answered.

He was shocked by the suggestion and honestly a little apprehensive. Despite his accusing Kathy of working with the enemy, she had taken really good care of him and he trusted her. A new room would mean new nurses, new orderlies, new everything.

"Yep, a regular room. You're doing quite well and honestly I have another patient who needs this bed a lot worse than you do right now." Dr. Poole reported.

"Whatever you think, Doc." Bosco didn't suppose it would do him any good to argue. Jokingly he continued, "Do I get to take my nurse with me?"

"No, unfortunately I'm afraid she stays. But you're going to 5 East and they have excellent nurses there." Tim assured him. "I'll go write your transfer orders. By the time you finish dialysis they should have a room ready for you."

XXXXXXXX

Faith looked up from the desk to see Lieutenant Swersky approaching with Cruz right behind him.

"Look Lieutenant, I'm fine. I don't need to be on a desk yet. I've got nearly six months left in this pregnancy. I'll be crazy if I have to ride a desk for that long." Cruz pleaded.

Swersky stopped in front of Faith and turned to face Cruz. "You're on the desk, Maritza. And that's final. I'm not going to put this child at risk."

"Lieu, please. At least let me go out and supervise when a Sergeant is needed." Cruz continued.

"Ok, you can go out when a supervisor is needed, but only with a driver." Swersky relented.

"A DRIVER?" Cruz glared at Swersky, obviously appalled.

"Yes, a driver." Swersky reiterated.

Faith could not help but chuckle out loud at the look on Cruz's face. It was priceless.

Swersky, hearing Faith laugh, glared at her then looked back at Cruz. "Officer Yokas here will be your driver." He announced. He then looked back at Faith with a satisfied smile on his face, only to see her mouth drop open as she began to object. "That's an order officer, not an option."

He grumbled and turned to walk away. _That will teach them. If they want to hate each other off duty, that's their business. But if they're both working for me, they are going to have to learn to tolerate each other while they're here. Their lives may depend on each other some day._

XXXXXXXX

Kathy placed Bosco's chart at the end of his bed and looked up into those bright blue eyes, perhaps for the last time. "You take care of yourself now, Officer Bosco. And don't give Ms. Green too much trouble, ok."

Bosco gave her an innocent look, "Me? Trouble?" His smirk caused Kathy to laugh.

"So, I hope you're not still mad at me about this morning." It was more of a question than a statement.

"I guess I'll forgive you this time. Just don't let it happen again." Bosco answered.

"Ok then, well, I'll see you around." Kathy patted his forearm and turned to leave.

"Um…Kathy." Bosco called to get her attention.

"Yeah?" Kathy questioned as she turned back.

"Thank you." Bosco said sincerely.

"You're welcome, Officer…"

"Bosco" he reminded her.

"Bosco" Kathy replied with a smile.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 47

Faith and Maritza Cruz were about 3 hours into their shift and headed out to their third call. They had been called out to two homicides, and now they had been called about a missing child. They had barely spoken a word to each other so far.

Faith glanced over at Cruz who absent-mindedly rubbed her hand over her belly. Faith was amazed that she hadn't noticed before that Cruz was pregnant. She had definitely gained some weight and was just beginning to show. Faith cringed at the thought that the child Cruz was carrying could be Bosco's. She had been debating that issue for three days now. Fred, whom she was finally speaking to again, told her that she should go talk to Bosco and ask him. She knew that Bosco was doing better and she'd considered talking to him. But she didn't think she could stand to see him if he told her that he was the father. So she didn't ask him. In fact she hadn't been to visit him at all since the night she'd heard the news.

"YOKAS! Will you slow down and watch where you're going. You're going to get us killed." Cruz snapped.

"Well, if you don't like my driving, Sergeant, you can always ask for another driver." Yokas replied sarcastically.

"Believe me, I have every intention of talking to Swersky again at the end of the shift tonight." Cruz grumbled.

XXXXXXXX

Bosco picked the phone up from the bedside table to dial Faith's number. He normally didn't like to talk on the phone a lot, but he was actually glad to finally have access to one. Faith hadn't been by in a few days and he was beginning to get worried about her. But surely if something had happened to her his mother would have told him. After reassuring himself that she had to be fine, he began again to wonder why she hadn't visited him. Maybe he'd done something to make her mad. Although, he didn't see how he could possibly have done something to make her angry while he was still in the ICU. But this was Faith and their relationship hadn't been very stable recently. He heard Emily's voice saying hello on the other end of the line.

"Em?"

After a long pause, Emily finally spoke. "Uncle B?"

"Yeah, Em. It's me." Bosco answered.

"How… I mean, where are you calling from? Aren't you in the ICU?" Emily asked confused.

"No, Em. I was moved to a regular room this afternoon." Bosco explained. "Is your mom there?"

"Oh. No, she's not here. She's at work." Emily replied.

"Oh, yeah. I guess she should be. Sorry, I loose track of time in this place. I'll call her there." Bosco continued.

"Ok. Uncle B?"

"Yeah, Em." Bosco answered.

"How are you feeling? I mean you must be doing better if you moved to a regular room, right?" Emily questioned.

"Yeah, Em. I'm doing a lot better. Thanks for asking." Bosco replied.

XXXXXXXX

After hanging up with Emily, Bosco called Faith's cell phone. But the voice that answered was not the one he expected.

"Officer Davenport." He heard on the other end of the line.

Davenport? "Uh… this is Officer Boscorelli. I was trying to get Officer Yokas." Bosco spoke.

"Oh, is that who this belongs too? She must have left it by mistake. She's out on a call. She's driving Sergeant Cruz tonight." Davenport said.

"Excuse me?" Bosco was sure he must be going crazy. "Did you say she's driving for Cruz?"

"Yeah, that's what I said. Say, how are you doing, Bosco? You're the last person I expected to talk to tonight."

"I'm doing ok." Bosco answered.

"That's good to hear. We've missed you, believe it or not. You want me to tell Faith that you called?" Davenport asked.

"No, that's alright. And thanks, Davenport. You tell the guys to watch out. Boscorelli will be back kicking butt in no time."

Bosco said his goodbyes and hung up the phone. He hoped he'd be back kicking butt again, if his kidney would only start working.

_Faith riding with Cruz._ Bosco shook his head and sighed. _They'll probably kill each other before the night is over._

XXXXXXXX

Faith and Cruz continued to ride in silence until Cruz's phone rang. Faith couldn't help but listen to Cruz's end of the conversation.

"Cruz" She spat into the phone.

"Oh, hey Chico. What are you doing making phone calls?"

"Oh, really. That's great."

"Yeah, it's true."

"I don't know what he was thinking."

"Yeah, I'll try. So how are you feeling?"

"That's good. I'm sorry I didn't get by before work. I had a doctor's appointment."

"He said everything looks good. The baby looks healthy."

"Yeah, I know."

"Yeah, we're headed to a call right now."

"No, nothing major. Nothing for you to worry about."

"Yeah, ok. I'll talk to you later. Don't give your new nurses too much trouble now."

"Ok. Bye."

Faith watched as Cruz stared at the phone with a slight smile on her face. Cruz hadn't noticed that they had pulled up to the scene. Faith cleared her throat to get Cruz's attention. "We're here, Sarg."

"Oh, yeah. We are, aren't we?" Cruz looked over at Faith. "That was Bosco. He's been moved to a regular room."

"A regular room? Really? That's great." Faith answered.

_Gets moved to a regular room and you're the first person he calls. That's great. Just great. _

After hearing Cruz's conversation and seeing her reaction to it, Faith had no doubt now who the father of this baby was.

XXXXXXXX

"Officer Boscorelli, I'm going to be leaving in a few minutes. Do you need anything before I go?" Nurse Green asked. She was a thin African American woman who looked to be in her early forties.

"No, Nurse Green. I'm ok for now. Thanks." Bosco replied.

"Ok. Now, you remember that you have pain medication that you can take up to every six hours if the patch is not enough." Nurse Green reminded him.

"I'll remember. Thanks again."

XXXXXXXX

Bosco was about to dose off when the door to his room opened. He looked up to see a red headed nurse enter. He was thinking that she looked awfully familiar when she spoke.

"Hello, Maurice. Remember me?"

Realizing that this woman was someone that he had dated a few times and dumped, he struggled to remember her name. He was sure she couldn't be too pleased to see him anyway and he sure didn't want to add fuel to the fire.

"Uh…yeah… I remember you. Candi, right?" He said, crossing his fingers on his good hand.

"It's Brandi. Not that I'm surprised that you would forget, seeing how you forgot about our last date." Brandi seethed. "I'm going to be your nurse for the night, Maurice."

Bosco cringed at the way she said his name. Her voice was dripping with venom. He sure hoped that he wouldn't need anything tonight, because he wasn't asking Brandi for it. He cowered back slightly as she approached the bedside.

Looking around she spoke. "You know what this place could use? Some flowers to brighten it up. Funny thing about flowers though. You have to be careful with them. Why I know someone who got a bouquet of flowers once that was mixed with poison ivy. Can you imagine?" Giving Bosco one last evil smirk, she turned and headed towards the door. "Sleep tight, Maurice."


	20. Chapters 48 and 49

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 48

Bosco was flipping channels on the television set. It had been a long day and he still felt a bit spaced out from the "happy juice" that Dr. John had given him early this morning. That seemed like days ago, and the night was still young. Rose had called to check on him, telling him again how sorry she was that she had to go to work on his first night out of the ICU. He assured her that he'd be ok. Although, honestly, he was a bit unnerved by the new environment and particularly by Nurse Brandi.

A soft knock on the door caught Bosco's attention. "Come in." He muttered.

The door opened and Kim entered, dressed in her uniform.

"Hey, Bosco. Carlos and I were downstairs and we heard you'd been moved out. I just wanted to stop by and check on you." Kim said as she approached Bosco.

Bosco swallowed and cleared his throat. "H…hey, Kim."

"Wow, you look great, Bos, considering. How are you feeling?" Kim asked.

"I'm feeling ok." Bosco answered.

They chatted for a while about trivial things.

"I guess I'd better get going? Carlos is going to be looking for me." Kim stated.

Bosco didn't reply. He was staring ahead at the wall with a slight frown on his face.

"Bos? Bosco?" Kim reached out and tapped his shoulder lightly.

Bosco looked quickly at Kim. "What?" He asked.

"I said I'm going to have to go. Are you ok, Bosco?" Kim questioned.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine Kim. Just tired. Thanks for stopping by." Bosco assured her.

Kim nodded and turned to leave.

"Kim" Bosco called out, causing her to turn back to him. "I didn't…. I mean I never got the chance to say 'thank you'." Bosco said. "So, umm… thank you."

"You're welcome, Bosco. I'm just glad to see you're doing better."

XXXXXXXX

Faith and Cruz had been in the ER at Mercy for nearly 30 minutes working a case. They were waiting to talk to an armed robbery suspect who had been shot by a patrol officer.

"Looks like it's going to be a while yet. I'm going up to check on Bosco." Cruz stated.

Faith just glanced at her and nodded.

"You coming?" Cruz asked.

"Uh….no. I'll just wait down here in case the doctors finish earlier than expected." Faith replied.

"Suit yourself." Cruz mumbled, as she turned toward the elevator.

XXXXXXXX

Cruz knocked on Bosco's door twice but got no answer. She slowly pushed the door open, not wanting to wake him if he were asleep. She found him staring blankly at the television while his right hand played with the edge of the sheet.

Cruz walked up to the edge of the bed, but Bosco's gaze never shifted. "Bosco? Bosco?" Still he didn't look at her. She noticed that his breathing was quick and shallow. "Chico" she whispered, as she reached out and touched his cheek.

Bosco flinched, then cut his eyes towards Cruz. He took a deep breath.

"Hey" he mumbled.

"Hey yourself. Where were you?" Cruz asked.

"What?" Bosco replied, confused.

"I called your name twice and you didn't even know that I was here. What were you thinking about?" Cruz questioned.

"Oh, I don't know. Nothing I guess." Bosco answered.

"Nothing, huh." Cruz didn't believe that, but she didn't push him. "So how are you liking your new room?"

"It's ok." Bosco shrugged and looked down at the bed. Looking back up, he suddenly asked, "Where's Faith?"

"She's down stairs waiting for the doctors to finish up with a suspect." Cruz reported.

"Oh" Bosco replied. He hesitated a moment. "I think she may be mad at me."

"Mad at you? For what? Why would you think that?" Cruz asked.

"Well, she hasn't been by in the last few days. I mean, everything seemed fine and then she just disappeared. I don't know. I just wonder what I could have done to upset her." Bosco explained.

"Bosco, why is everything with Faith always your fault? You haven't done anything." Cruz argued.

"I don't know. I don't know what to think anymore." Bosco answered, as he leaned up and tried to scoot himself up further in the bed with his good arm and leg. Cruz didn't miss the grimace on his face.

"Should you be doing that? Do you want me to get some help?" She asked.

"No, just push that pillow behind me a little more. This bed is hard as a brick." Bosco grumbled.

Cruz did as he asked, pushing the pillow behind his back. Bosco groaned as she bumped his ribs. "Sorry."

Bosco gritted his teeth and let out a slow breath. "It's ok."

"It doesn't look ok." Cruz said with concern. "Do you need something for pain?" Cruz reached for the nurse call button.

"NO!" Bosco shouted.

Cruz looked at him in surprise. "Bosco, you're obviously in pain. Why don't you want me to get your nurse so you can take something?"

"I'm ok. Just don't bother Brandi." Bosco pleaded.

"Brandi? You say that like you've known her for a while." Cruz questioned.

"Yeah, well we've met before. And she's not exactly happy to see me again. Just don't bother her."

Cruz smiled slowly. "Who is she? Some chick you ditched?" Seeing Bosco's ears turning red, Cruz chuckled. "Oh, this is rich."

"It's not funny." Bosco protested. This only made Maritza laugh harder.

"I'm in pain here and your laughing about my misfortune." Bosco scowled.

"Misfortune? Is that what you call it? Sounds like justice to me."

Cruz stopped laughing when she saw the pouting look on Bosco's face. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. How could she not? He looked like a little kid. "Look, if you are really that scared of her, I'll go and ask her for you."

"I'm not scared of her." Bosco protested. After a moment, he continued, "Would you mind asking her?"

Cruz smiled in amusement, then left the room. After a few minutes she returned. "She said she'd be right down. Seems like a nice lady."

Bosco wondered if perhaps Cruz had spoken with the wrong nurse.

Looking at her watch, Cruz sighed. "I guess I had better get back downstairs. Get some rest, Chico."

XXXXXXXX

Cruz and Faith had finished talking to their suspect and were headed back to the station. Maritza was still thinking about something that Bosco had said. She knew that she would probably regret this, but she did it anyway. "So Yokas, why didn't you want to go up and see Bosco?"

"What?" a distracted Faith asked.

"Bosco thinks you are mad at him because you haven't been by lately. I was just wondering what was going on?" Cruz explained.

"Nothing's going on. I've just been busy." Faith replied.

At Cruz's questioning look, she continued, " Besides I assumed he'd want to spend some time with just you and the baby." Faith bit her lip. As soon as she'd said it, she wished she hadn't.

A stunned Cruz sat in silence. Finally she spoke. "And all this time, I thought that you were angry about riding with me because I shot you." Cruz said sarcastically. "But you're actually angry because you think that Bosco is the father of my child. Unbelievable!"

Faith pulled into the station and parked the car. She and Cruz stared at each other hatefully for a long time.

"You honestly believe he's the father, don't you?" Cruz asked.

"Well isn't he?" Faith questioned.

"NO! He's not!" Cruz said angrily.

Faith didn't look convinced. Cruz sighed. "I can't believe this. I can't believe that you would refuse to see Bosco because of this. And he thinks he's done something wrong to upset you. It's not his, Yokas." Cruz was furious, yet she knew that she needed to convince Yokas for Bosco's sake. "The baby is not his! I was raped!"

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 49

Bosco gently rubbed his left side with his good hand. It had been at least 40 minutes since Maritza left and still there was no sign of Brandi or his pain medication. He had even called down to the desk once and reminded them that he'd asked for some. Finally, there was a knock on the door and he thought he would soon have some relief. He was disappointed to see one of the orderlies enter, carrying a washbasin and towels.

"Good evening, Officer Boscorelli. My name is Demetric. I'm your nursing assistant for the night. Are you ready for your bath?"

"Uh… actually I was waiting on some pain medication." Bosco said hesitantly.

"I'm sure your nurse will bring that soon. And you'll be nice and clean and ready for a good nights sleep." Demetric replied, as he turned to the sink and began filling the basin with water.  
XXXXXXXX

Bosco bit his lip, fighting the tears welling in his eyes, as Demetric rolled him farther onto his left side to wash his back. He had learned to block most of bath time out to spare himself the embarrassment of thinking about someone else bathing him. But he could not block this pain out. It hurt to breath with his weight on his broken and battered ribs. The longer he lay there, the shorter his breaths became. He could feel himself beginning to panic and tried to remember the meditation techniques from his yoga classes. But when he closed his eyes, the scenes he saw only made matters worse. Snapping his eyes back open, he let out a soft moan.

"We're almost through, Officer." Demetric assured him.

XXXXXXXX

Bosco was trying to recover from his bath, when Brandi finally came in with a small cup containing his long awaited pain medication.

"I'm sorry it took so long, Maurice." She said innocently. "We've been extremely busy."

Bosco scowled at her. "I needed those before my bath." He grumbled.

"Well if you don't need them now, I can take them back." Brandi replied spitefully.

"NO!" Bosco shouted, as he grabbed the cup from her hand.

XXXXXXXX

Faith sighed as she entered the locker room to change. It had been an extremely long shift. And Cruz's revelation had absolutely floored her. Not only was she angry at herself for doubting Bosco and refusing to visit him; but she found herself almost feeling sorry for Maritza Cruz, her arch enemy. As she crossed the room, she noticed Cruz sitting on the bench in front of her locker, staring into it. She hesitantly approached.

"Sarg?"

Cruz rubbed her temples with her left hand. "What, Yokas?"

"I….uh…. I just wanted to say…. Well, I ….I wanted to say that I'm sorry ….that I pushed things earlier. It was really none of my business. And, well, I'm sorry." Faith muttered. She could hardly believe that she was apologizing to the woman who had almost killed her just a few months ago. Who would have thought?

XXXXXXXX

Brandi entered Bosco's room once again and found him sleeping soundly. If she were not required to document his condition, she would have just stayed away until he called for something. She walked over and turned the television off. Then she reached for the switch controlling the light above Bosco's bed. She hesitated, remembering the night that the lights went out in her apartment while Bosco was visiting. Although he tried to hide it, she could tell that he was terrified of the dark. A small smile started to form on her lips as she flipped the light off.

XXXXXXXX

Faith trudged into her apartment with her head hanging and her shoulders slumped.

Fred looked up from the couch. "Hey, babe. How was your night?"

"You don't want to know." Faith replied, as she sat down beside Fred and laid her head against his shoulder.

"That bad, huh?" Fred questioned as he placed his arm around Faith.

Faith sighed. "I'm an idiot, Fred."

"No you're not, babe." Fred assured her. "Why would you say that?"

"I found out that Cruz's baby is not Bosco's. She was raped, Fred."

"Wow. That's terrible. I mean, it's good that it's not Bosco's; but….. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, even Cruz." Fred replied.

"Yeah, I know." Faith whispered.

Fred gave Faith's shoulders a squeeze. "So, did you straighten things out with Bosco?"

"I tried to. But by the time I could get back to the hospital, visiting hours were over. I thought maybe they'd let me in with me being a cop and all. But there was some Nazi nurse working tonight, Candi or Brandi or something. She refused to let me in. Said he was asleep and I would have to follow the rules like everyone else." Faith explained.

"Well, you can go by tomorrow and talk to him. He probably needs his rest. You look like you could use some rest yourself, Mrs. Yokas. What do you say?"

XXXXXXXX

Day 15, 3:00AM

Brandi watched the heart monitor at the nurse's station, noticing that Bosco's heart rate was much higher than earlier. As she watched, it would speed up quickly, then gradually slow down a bit. Finaly, when it went above 130, she decided that she would have to go and check on him. She stalked down the hall, pushed his door open, and flipped on a light switch. Bosco was flailing around in the bed, mumbling to himself. As she approached the bed, he became more agitated.

"Maurice. Maurice!" She called out as she gently tried to wake him. "Maurice, wake up. It's just a dream."

Bosco pushed her hands away as his breathing quickened and his heart rate continued to rise.

"Maurice, wake up!" she said, as she shook him a little more forcefully.

Suddenly, Bosco shot up in the bed, wild eyed. He struggled to get up as Brandi tried to push him back down. "Stop! Let me go! I can't….can't breath!" he stammered, as he continued to struggle. He grabbed frantically at the oxygen tubing. "Help me! Help me!" he pleaded.

"Maurice, calm down. Tell me what's wrong." By this time, Brandi seemed genuinely concerned.

She pushed the nurse call button to try to get some help, but no one answered. She turned back toward the door, intending to call for someone. But Bosco caught her sleeve. "No….don't…..leave…..hel…help…..me…." he begged between gasping breaths.


	21. Chapter 50

This chapter is from a slightly different perspective. It may take a few moments for you to catch on. Enjoy.

XXXXXXXX

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places. But I do own this storyline and it's new characters.

Collision Course, Chapter 50

Day 17, 2:15 PM

I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to be doing here or where to start. In two and a half weeks, my life has been completely turned upside down. I only thought it was screwed up before. But that afternoon in the park changed everything. I didn't really remember the collision or much about the week that followed. At least I didn't, until I saw Kim. It's like seeing her opened up a part of my mind that had shut down. I remembered her being in the RMP with me, telling me to hold on, that I would be ok. I remembered the fear on her face. It took a lot to rattle Kim, and she had definitely been rattled.

After that, I started to have flashbacks. I would see a big white blur coming towards me and see the angry face of the suspect just before the collision. It felt real. Like it was happening all over again. My chest would get tight and my heart would race.

And then, the accident invaded my dreams. I've had nightmares for years. I dreamed about snakes and monsters as a child. And sometimes that monster in my dreams was my dad. Then the dreams worsened for a while after Desert Storm. I was a Ranger. We really didn't see much action. We didn't even have any casualties. But I killed someone. He was just a kid, couldn't have been any older than 18 or 19. But I was just a kid then too and it was kill or be killed. Still, I saw that kid's face in my dreams for years. I still do occasionally. Then after 911, things got really bad. But my therapy sessions helped that. Surprise. Surprise.

Things had been better in the recent months, even despite the whole Noble incident. But that all changed when I saw Kim. That night, I had the most vivid nightmare I'd had in a long time. And when I woke up I couldn't breath. I was scared to death and even managed to scare Brandi to the point that she's actually been nice to me since. The doctor on call was afraid that I might have a blood clot, since I had been in the bed for two weeks. Said it could have broken off and gone to my lungs. So they sent me for one test after another. I had my own suspicions about what was going on, but I half hoped that they would find something physically wrong with me. At least then I would have had a reason for acting like that, other than just being crazy. But no such luck. It was a panic attack and it wasn't the last one that I would have. I had another one later that day. And I've had nightmares and awakened in a panic every night since then.

And that is why I'm sitting here now, doing this stupid assignment. The quack that they had see me calls it therapeutic writing. Personally, I think it's a crock of crap and yeah, I hope he reads this. It's ingenious though. They've finally figured out a way to get paid and have all us crazy people do all the work. He didn't even tell me what I should be writing about. He just said that I could write about whatever came to mind, maybe something that stood out about the last few days.

What stands out about the last few days? Well, me being crazy definitely stands out. It's been bad enough that they're starting me on one pill at night to help me sleep and one during the day to help the anxiety. I spent all morning feeling like a zombie. What else? Well, my kidney is still on strike, so I get to see that cute little dialysis nurse every couple of days. Frankly though, I'd rather have a working kidney and never see her again. Mikey apparently has been straight since my accident. That's remarkable. Let's see. Oh, yeah. I had an overzealous reporter and a few curious citizens try to visit me, so now I have a guard outside my room. Oh, and then there is Faith.

No matter how hard I try, I'm sure that I am never going to understand women. Faith finally came to see me and after much beating around the bush, she apologized. I thought I had done something to make her mad. Turns out that I didn't even have to do anything to make her mad. She just assumed that I did. I don't understand it. I don't know how she could think that I had gotten back together with Ritza and fathered her child. I mean, yeah, Maritza and I have been getting along better recently. I mean, I actually did care about her and I thought that she cared about me. But she was so concerned about getting the bad guy, that she didn't care how she did it or what it cost. Although, I do think that getting shot and shooting Faith was a bit of an eye opener for her.

And then she was raped. When Warner told me what he'd done to her, I nearly lost it. Sure, some of it had to do with the fact that she was a New York City police officer. And whether she was a little crooked or not, you don't mess with a fellow officer. Oops, I hope this is really confidential. Anyway, part of my fury was because, at least at one time, I had considered Ritza to be my woman. Yeah, that sounds funny even to me, since I've never stuck with one woman for more than a few weeks, with the exception of Nicole. I've bailed on more women than I can count. But I would never physically hurt any woman. And it infuriated me to think of what he'd done to her. You see, Ritza may act tough. But I've seen that other side to her, the side that can be caring, gentle, even vulnerable. So the rape changed things. I suddenly found it a whole lot more difficult to stay angry with her for the Noble incident.

And then she confided in me that she was pregnant. I knew that she wouldn't have an abortion and I respect her for that. Despite all of her faults, Ritza has certain religious convictions and she stands by them. So yeah, I'd say we've gotten closer since then, but for Faith to assume that I was the father of her child. Like I say, I will never understand women. Ever.

Well, I'm running out of paper, so I guess that this will have to be enough for the quack. Therapeutic writing. What will they come up with next?


	22. Chapters 51 and 52

Friends, I just posted chapter 100 of 100 chapters of this story on another site, but the chapters are not linked. Over the next few weeks, I'm going to try to post all of the chapters here. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 51

Day 21, 10:15 AM

"I'm sorry, Miss. But you can't go in if you're not on this list." the security guard outside Bosco's room repeated.

"But I'm an old friend. I'm sure he'll recognize me if you'll just let me see him."

The security guard shook his head. He'd heard 4 or 5 different women tell him the very same thing. "I'm sorry, but my orders are not to let anyone in who is not on this list."

"Well, who decides who gets on the list?"

"I think Mrs. Boscorelli and Officer Yokas made the list. Maybe you can talk to one of them about it, if they know you." The guard suggested.

XXXXXXXX

"Thanks, Meredith. I'll see you tomorrow." Bosco said to the physical therapist as she left the room. He wanted to get out of the hospital bed and move around, but for now he was only allowed to do range of motion exercises. They had x-rayed his arm and leg this morning and the orthopedist had said that everything looked good. Still, it would be another three weeks before the cast on his arm could be removed. He could potentially move around on crutches in another week, but that might not be feasible with only one good arm. So for now he was stuck in the hospital bed or resigned to having someone push him around in a wheelchair. And the second option was limited, however, by the reporters lurking around the hospital hoping for a chance to interview New York's newest hero.

But despite being stuck in a hospital bed, things were looking up a little. The nightmares weren't as bad as they had been. And he hadn't had a panic attack in a couple of days.

Bosco looked up when he heard a knock on the door to see Dr. Poole enter with a satisfied grin on his face.

"What's up, Doc?" Bosco quizzed.

"Well Officer, I finally got a chance to review your lab work." Dr. Poole reported.

"And?" Bosco questioned.

"And it looks ok. With your urine output increasing over the last couple of days, I think we're ok to hold the dialysis for today at least and see what happens." Dr. Poole replied.

"So what does that mean?" Bosco asked eagerly. "Do you think my kidney is going to work again?"

"I'm hopeful. Things are definitely looking better than they have been."

"So if I don't need dialysis, when can I leave this joint?" Bosco questioned.

"Whoa, Officer, let's not jump the gun here. First we have to see what the kidney does. And you still have a few more days of IV antibiotics." Dr. Poole replied.

Bosco's smile spread from ear to ear. "So, what? A few more days? Maybe a week? If you weren't a guy, I'd kiss you, Doc. This is the best news I've heard all day. I was beginning to think that I'd be stuck on dialysis for life. How long do you think it will be before I can get back on the street, Doc?"

Dr. Poole put up a hand. "Slow down. First of all, I said your kidney might be going to recover. And I never said anything about you getting back out on the street."

"But the ortho guy said that my leg would be ok in time, Doc. So if the kidney works, I should be good to go. Right?" Bosco asked hopefully.

Dr. Poole cleared his throat. "Well…um… actually we do need to discuss that Officer Boscorelli. You see… even if your kidney starts to recover, you probably will have some residual deficit. And with only one kidney left, there is no way that I could clear you to go back on street duty."

"What?" Bosco asked, hoping he had heard Dr. Poole wrong. "What do you mean, Doc?"

"It would be irresponsible for me to allow you to go back out on patrol with only one kidney, Officer Boscorelli. I've reviewed your chart. In 12 years on the police force, you've been seen in the ER 19 times. All of them were trauma related with the exception of one visit for respiratory problems after 911, your first panic attack, and one episode of Chinese Chicken food poisoning. It's just too risky to put you back on patrol. Besides, Dr. Scanlan says you have a long way to go with the PTSD before you will even be ready for desk duty." Dr. Poole explained.

XXXXXXXX

1:45PM

"Hey Hank. How are things going?" Faith asked as she approached Bosco's room.

"Going ok, Officer Yokas." the guard replied. "Officer Boscorelli sure must have a lot of names in his little black book. He has a new woman trying to visit him every day." Hank smirked.

Faith laughed and knocked on Bosco's door. She heard Rose say to come in and opened the door. As she entered she saw that Bosco was turned onto his right side with his back towards the door. Rose, who was sitting beside the bed, looked up with a sad expression on her face. When Faith got closer, she noticed that Bosco's shoulders were shaking slightly and she heard what she thought was quiet sobbing. "What's wrong?" she asked Rose quickly.

Rose got up and motioned for Faith to follow her outside. Once outside she told Faith what Dr. Poole had said. "Dr. Poole called me to tell me what was going on. He's completely devastated, Faith. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to make it better." Rose confided.

Faith was almost too stunned for words herself. She had anticipated what might happen if Bosco's kidney didn't recover, but she had never even thought of this possibility. Knowing Bosco the way she did, she knew that he had to be devastated. Bosco's job was his life. And he hated paperwork or working the desk.

"Will you talk to him, Faith?" Rose pleaded.

"I….I'll try, Rose." Faith assured her. Returning to the room, she quietly circled the bed. Her heart broke when she saw the tears streaming down Bosco's face. "Bos?" she whispered.

"Go away, Faith." Bosco muttered, as he pulled his pillow down over his face. His shaking increased as his sobs grew louder.

Faith rubbed his back gently. "I'm sorry, Bos. I'm so sorry."

XXXXXXXX

Faith barely heard a word that Swersky was saying during roll call. She had arrived at the station early and informed Swersky and Cruz of the latest news about Bosco. When roll call was over, she headed towards the front desk. She was still driving for Cruz when needed. And although she still didn't like the woman, they had basically called a truce of sorts. Faith realized that, although Bosco and Cruz weren't an item, they were friends. And Bosco needed all the friends he could find right now.

Faith's thoughts were interrupted by a voice calling her name.

"Officer Yokas?" A brunette with a slightly prominent nose asked.

"Yeah, I'm Yokas." She replied.

"Officer Yokas, I'm Natalie Goldsberry. I…uh… wanted to talk to you about Officer Boscorelli." The young woman stated.

"What about Officer Boscorelli?" Maritza Cruz butted in when she heard what the woman was saying.

Natalie looked at Cruz a bit startled.

"Sargeant Cruz." Faith introduced Maritza. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Faith asked curtly.

"Well, I'm an old acquaintance, I guess you would say. And I need to see him." Natalie replied.

"How many times have we heard that in the last week, Yokas?" Cruz questioned.

Faith looked from Cruz back to the young woman. "What makes you any different from all of the others who have said that?" Faith asked.

"Well, it's sort of personal." Natalie answered. "I'm sure though that Maurice would agree to see me." She hoped that she sounded convincing.

"Look, Officer Boscorelli is busy trying to recover. We can't just let anyone in who wants to see him." Faith replied. "If you have a legitimate reason to see him, we're going to have to know what it is." Faith was obviously getting impatient. The last thing Bosco needed was all of these fickle women coming to visit him.

"Well, I … ah… I really didn't want to discuss this with anyone but Maurice." Seeing the growing displeasure on the faces of Yokas and Cruz, she added, "But I guess I'll have to tell you or show you." Having said that, she reached into her purse and pulled out a picture, handing it to Faith.

Faith looked down at the picture in her hand. In it was a little boy who couldn't have been any older than two if that old. He had dark brown hair and the deepest blue eyes. Faith had seen those eyes before and that smile….on Bosco.

XXXXXXXX

Disclaimer: I don't own them..

Collision Course, Chapter 52a

Faith stared at the picture in her hand, until Cruz snatched it away from her.

"What are you trying to pull?" Cruz snapped at Natalie.

"I….I'm not trying to pull anything." Natalie answered warily.

"Who is that?" Faith asked.

"That's Jacob, my son. Maurice's son." Natalie almost whispered.

Cruz laughed slightly. "You think you're going to waltz in here out of the blue and claim that Officer Boscorelli is the father of your child. Do you think we're stupid? Anybody could come in here and claim that. What do you think you're going to get out of this?" Cruz scowled. Faith just stood by in shock.

"I don't want anything out of this. I just want my son to know his father." Natalie replied.

Faith cleared her throat. "If a …. If he is Bosco's son, why are you showing up now? Why didn't you tell him while you were pregnant? That does look kind of suspicious you know."

"I couldn't tell him. It's kind of a long story. You see, we met in a bar in the early morning hours on September 11th. We ended up going back to my apartment in Soho. The next morning I went out to find breakfast, and when I came back Maurice was getting ready to leave. Then we heard the first plane hit. And Maurice went down to help. And then the buildings collapsed. I didn't even know if he was still alive. And I couldn't remember his last name. I mean it's not that common an Italian name. So I didn't know how to find him, until I saw his picture on the TV a few weeks ago. I would have come forth sooner, but I didn't think it would be fair to his family to just show up while his condition was so critical." Natalie explained.

"You expect us to believe that?" Cruz snapped.

"Sarg." Faith grabbed Cruz's jacket sleeve and pulled her away. Cruz continued to protest as Faith pulled her into an adjacent office.

"Get your hands off of me, Yokas! That kid could be anybody's. She's just some gold digger that's out to take advantage of Bosco." Cruz grumbled.

"Sarg., Bosco told me that exact same story. Said he went home with some girl with a big nose from Soho that night." Faith argued.

"That doesn't mean anything, Yokas." Cruz seethed.

"What about this, Sarg.?" Faith questioned as she pulled the picture from Cruz's hand and held it up for Cruz to see. "Look at him."

XXXXXXXX

"Maurice, baby. Do you want something to drink? You need to drink something. You didn't even touch your lunch." Rose admonished.

"Leave me alone, Ma. I don't want anything." Bosco mumbled.

XXXXXXXX

"Even if he is Bosco's, what business does she have showing up now?" Cruz questioned. "I don't trust her."

"Maybe she's telling the truth. I mean, it sounds reasonable. She wouldn't be the first girl that Bosco tried to sneak out on after a one night stand. Maybe she really didn't know how to find him." Faith answered.

"Well, I still don't like it. What are we going to do about it?" Cruz inquired.

"What can we do about it?" Faith asked.

"Well, we can't let her see him. This is the last thing he needs with everything else that's going on." Cruz insisted.

"For once you're right, Sarge. With the shape he was in earlier today, he doesn't need to find this out now. But we have to be careful. He's not going to be very happy if he finds out we're keeping this from him."

"So what do we do with her?" Cruz questioned.

"Well, she's waited this long. Maybe she'll be willing to wait a little longer." Faith replied hopefully.

XXXXXXXX

Still don't own them.

Chapter 52b

Day 22, 10:00 AM

"Maurice, what has gotten into you this morning? I can't believe that you were that mean to Meredith." Rose chided Bosco.

Bosco sat silently with a sullen expression on his face.

Rose was about to continue, but stopped when the door opened and Dr. Poole walked in.

"Officer Boscorelli, what is this that I'm hearing about you being uncooperative this morning?" Tim Poole asked. "Your nurse called to tell me that you refused to let the lab tech draw your blood this morning. And now she tells me that you refused your medicine and refused to do your physical therapy."

Bosco glared at Dr. Poole before speaking. "I want out of this place, now!"

"Well, I understand you're frustrated after our conversation yesterday, but you're not ready to be discharged." Dr. Poole replied.

"Then I'll sign out AMA!" Bosco grumbled.

"I can't stop you from doing that, if you have someone who will take responsibility for you because you can't take care of yourself with those casts." Dr. Poole replied calmly and glanced at Rose Boscorelli.

Rose looked down to meet Bosco's eyes. "You can forget that, mister! I'm not taking you anywhere." She huffed, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"FINE!" was Bosco's reply.

"Look, Officer Boscorelli." Dr. Poole began. "I'll get you out of here as soon as I can, but you're going to have to help me out here. I need to see your blood work to make sure that you don't need dialysis again today. You're urine output looks good, but we can't always rely on that."

"I'm tired of being poked and prodded! And I'm tired of all these tubes too!" Bosco shouted, as he pulled his oxygen tubing from his nose. "I don't need this anymore!"

"You're probably right about that, Officer. If you don't want to wear the oxygen, you don't have to." Dr. Poole agreed.

"What about this?" Bosco asked, as he threw his cover back and pointed to the foley catheter. "I can pee on my own!"

"Well, we can consider taking that out, but we still have to collect your urine and follow your lab work. So if you'll agree to that, then I'll have the nurse take the foley out. What do you say?" Dr. Poole asked.

"Whatever." Bosco mumbled.

"Now, about your medicine…." Dr. Poole began, but was interrupted by Bosco.

"I'm sick of feeling drugged!" Bosco snapped.

"Well, I understand that. But you should get more used to the medications with time and might tolerate them better." Upon seeing that Bosco was about to protest, Dr. Poole put up his hand. "But I'll ask Dr. Scanlan to take another look at them, ok?" As if on cue, Dr. Poole's pager went off. "That's the OR. I need to go, but we'll talk more later." With that he turned to leave and Rose followed him out the door.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Poole." Rose apologized. "I don't know what's gotten into Maurice."

"That's ok, Mrs. Boscorelli. This is actually not that uncommon. Maurice probably feels like his life is out of his control right now, because basically it is. So he's trying to take control wherever he can, even if it's something as simple as refusing his labs or refusing to take his medicine. I was actually planning to take the foley catheter out anyway, but it's ok with me if he thinks that it was his idea." Dr. Poole explained.

XXXXXXXX

1:15 PM

"Are you sure that telling Mrs. Boscorelli is a good idea?" Cruz questioned.

Faith stopped outside the hospital elevator and looked at Cruz. "We've been through this. I'm sure Rose knows her son better than we do and she may be able to give us some idea of when it's ok to tell him. Besides, she is Jacob's grandmother."

"That is if he is even Bosco's son. We have no proof of that, you know." Cruz grumbled. "We need to make her get a DNA test or something."

"Yeah, well, we can't do that without Bosco's permission." Faith reminded her.

"I'm just not sure that we have to talk to Mrs. B now." Maritza reiterated.

XXXXXXXX

"Maurice, what are you doing?" Rose screeched, when she came out of the bathroom to find Bosco sitting on the edge of his bed with both feet dangling.

"I have to get out of this room, Ma." Bosco answered, as he pushed the button and lowered the bed closer to the floor.

"You have to wait for the orderly to bring a wheelchair, Maurice! You know that!" Rose argued.

"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR TWENTY MINUTES!" Bosco shouted.

"Maurice Louis Boscorelli, don't you dare speak to me like that." Rose scolded. "Now you lie back in that bed this instant!"

Any further argument was interrupted by knocking. "COME IN!" They both shouted.

The door opened slowly and Faith peeked her head in. "Is everything ok in here?" she inquired. "Can we come in?"

"Please do come in." Rose replied. "You may have just kept Maurice from getting a good spanking." She grumbled, as she looked back at her son.

Bosco scowled at her and looked at the floor.

"That I might like to see." Cruz smirked.

"You going somewhere, Bos?" Faith asked.

"Yes, I am if I can get someone to bring me a wheelchair." Bosco growled.

Faith and Maritza looked at each other. "I'll see what I can do about that." Maritza replied.

Within a few minutes, she came back in with a wheelchair and an orderly. After positioning the wheelchair next to the bed, the orderly turned towards Bosco.

"I can do it myself!" Bosco snapped. Then he scooted closer to the edge of the bed, until his right foot touched the floor. Reaching out, he placed his right hand on the arm of the wheelchair and lifted himself into a standing position. He hopped once on his good foot. The grimace on his face did not go unnoticed by the women in the room. Reaching over to the other arm of the wheelchair, he hopped again and collapsed into the seat with a groan. The orderly lifted his feet onto the foot rests.

"Where did you want to go, Officer Boscorelli?" he asked.

"I'll take him." Maritza replied. She saw the questioning look on Faith's face. "You can stay here and visit with Mrs. Boscorelli." she continued.

XXXXXXXX

Maritza pushed Bosco's wheelchair down the hall as the security guard followed a few feet behind.

"Was there any particular place you wanted to go?" she asked.

"I just needed to get out of that room. I'm going crazy in there." Bosco replied.

"Bad day, huh?" Cruz asked.

"Bad life." Bosco muttered.

"Come on now, Chico. Things could be worse. At least your kidney is beginning to work again. You're lucky. You could have been on dialysis for life or even dead."

"I wish I was dead." Bosco mumbled.

Cruz didn't reply at first. She wasn't used to seeing Bosco like this and didn't really know how to handle him. "It will get better." she finally said.

As they approached a very long window along the wall, Cruz stopped the wheelchair. In their wandering around, they had managed to find the nursery. "Look at all the little chicas." Maritza said with a smile.

"Yeah, I wonder what hell they'll have to live with." Bosco replied wearily.

"It might not be that bad. You never know." Cruz replied as she rubbed a hand over her growing abdomen.

"Yeah, right. I'm sure they've all got the Brady's as parents." Bosco muttered.

"Well, we don't all get to have fairy tale families, but that doesn't mean that everything is bad. Sometimes we just have to do the best we can." Cruz answered.

Bosco looked up at Cruz's sad eyes. "I… I didn't mean anything by that."

"I know. I just wish that I could give her a more normal family." Cruz confided.

"You'll be a great mom, Ritza." Bosco assured her.

"Yeah, right. I don't know the first thing about babies, Bosco."

"Yeah, well. I'm sure you'll do a lot better job than a lot of the parents out there. I mean, the poor kid could have someone like me for a parent." Bosco replied.

XXXXXXXX

"What do you mean she says that the baby is Maurice's? He would tell me something like that." Rose asked, confused.

"Well that's just it, Rose. He doesn't know." Faith went on to explain the story that Natalie had told them.

"Do you think she's telling the truth?" Rose questioned in amazement.

"Well, there's no way to know for sure without blood tests. But we do have this." Faith replied, as she pulled the picture of Jacob out of her pocket. In the confusion yesterday, she and Cruz had somehow managed to hang on to the picture that Natalie had shown them.

"Oh dear….." Rose stared at the picture for a long moment before reaching for her purse. After a brief search, Rose pulled an old worn photo out. Handing it to Faith, she whispered "Look."

Faith was utterly amazed when she compared the two pictures. Jacob was almost a replica of Bosco at the same age.


	23. Chapters 53 to 55

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 53

Monday 12:40 PM, Day 24

Here I am again at the last minute trying to figure out what the quack wants me to say in this therapeutic writing crap. He came by on Saturday afternoon looking like he had been out playing golf or something. We had a long talk about my medications. Well at least he had a long talk. I didn't have much to say. In the end, he cut the doses back some, so at least now I don't feel like a zombie all the time. Anyway he told me to write down my feelings about what Dr. Poole had told me and we would discuss it on Monday afternoon. So here I am trying to explain how I feel about me supposedly not being able to be a beat cop anymore. How does the idiot think I feel? I hate it! I feel like my whole life has been taken away by one man's stupid decision. What right does he have? No. I won't accept it. I can't accept it, you see. Because that would mean that my worst fear has come true.

All of my life people have told me that I was useless. It started with my dad telling me that I was worthless, stupid, a mistake, a disappointment, useless. So I did everything I could to prove that he was wrong. That's why I became a cop, to prove to my dad that I wasn't useless. I wasn't very good at the book stuff or paper work, so I pushed myself that much harder on the streets. There was a time when perps didn't even run from me, because they knew that they couldn't escape. I was fast and relentless. I'd chase someone fifteen blocks if I had to. And when I caught them, I'd make them pay for every block that I'd run.

Still, that wasn't enough. That's why I wanted to get into ESU so bad. To prove to my dad and everyone else, that I could do it, that I could be more than just a beat cop. Then that fell through, but a chance at anticrime came along. Faith was out with Fred after his heart attack and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I went after it full force, even though it almost cost me one of the few true friendships I've ever had. Then Faith was shot and I thought at first that I would loose my job. So I learned to be satisfied with just being on the beat. I actually started to play by the rules and found out that I was a good cop. I was happy with my life, well except for the fact that Faith still wouldn't speak to me. And now, Dr. Poole says that I can't work the beat anymore. Who made him God?

Why is it that every time I feel like my life is going good, someone comes along and knocks me down again? Why can't I just be allowed a little happiness? Father O'Reilly came by yesterday to talk to me. He said that maybe it was God's will. I almost laughed in his face. How can it be God's will for me to loose the one thing that I love? The one thing that makes me feel like I'm not a failure? How?

Then he said that maybe something better would come out of it. Maybe I could go back to school? Yeah, fat chance of that. If it hadn't been for Faith, I'd have never made it through the Academy. Don't get me wrong. I'm not dumb. But, honestly, I think I'm a little dyslexic. I struggled enough through high school to know that I'd never make it through two years of college in order to join the NYPD. That's why I joined the Army. And I know that there's no way I could get through college now.

So I guess my dad was right. I am useless. Faith said it herself that night at the hospital when Fred took his heart attack. Faith, the one person who had always stood by me. Fat chance of any of them standing by me now. Oh, they say it doesn't matter whether I'm a beat cop or not. They won't think any different of me. But I can already tell by the way they act around me. Ma, Faith, even Ritza, have all been walking on egg shells around me for the past two days. Giving each other looks. And staring at me. I'm sure they pity me right now. Poor pitiful Maurice. And that's bad enough. But soon enough they'll all be thinking the same thing. Useless.

XXXXXXXX

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 54

Day 24, 1:10 PM

Bosco looked up when the door opened to see Rose enter with a smile on her face.

_Great. It's not bad enough that she's having breakfast with Sully almost every day, but now she's started having lunch with Dad and comes back grinning from ear to ear. It's sickening._

"Hey baby" Rose greeted him. "I brought you a piece of double fudge pie."

Bosco nodded his head and Rose continued, "Your Dad said to tell you hello."

"Good for him." Bosco grumbled.

"Maurice, he really is trying. He's stopped drinking. He's helping Mikey out, even got him a job with the cab company."

Bosco busied himself with the double fudge pie.

"You could at least give him a chance, Maurice." Rose admonished.

Bosco just looked at her with a scowl on his face. Placing the lid back on the pie container, he pushed it away. "I've suddenly lost my appetite."

XXXXXXX

3:40 PM

Cruz stared at the computer screen in front of her, growing angrier by the second. After printing the pages that she had been looking at, she jumped to her feet and headed towards the front desk.

"YOKAS! Come with me!" She shouted and headed for the door.

Faith rolled her eyes, but followed. She had to jog to keep up with Cruz and when they reached their car, Cruz jumped into the driver's side.

A confused Faith got in on the passenger side. "I thought that I was supposed to be driving you, Sarg?"

"Just get in, Yokas!" Cruz snapped.

"Ok, then." Faith replied. "Do you mind if I ask where we're going in such a hurry?"

"We're going to pay that lying witch, Natalie, a visit." Cruz growled.

"What's she done now?" Faith quizzed.

"What's she done now? What's she done now?" Cruz half-laughed. "I'll tell you what she's done, Yokas. She failed to tell us that her father is the owner of the largest Jewish newspaper in New York! Did she tell you that?" Cruz snapped.

Faith looked at her confused, "She's Jewish?"

"What? No! Not that she's Jewish. That her father owns a newspaper. And she just graduated with a degree in journalism. Journalism, Yokas! She works for the Times!" Cruz shouted as she flung the papers containing Natalie's background check into Faith's lap.

XXXXXXXX

Bosco rolled over onto his right side and pulled the covers up almost over his head. He had had a very long and exhausting session with the psychiatrist. Dr. Scanlan had tried to keep their discussion focused on Bosco's relationship with his father and Bosco had tried every way possible to escape that topic. After 45 minutes Bosco had finally snapped, going into a long tirade of all the reasons he hated his father. Dr. Scanlan sat in shocked silence as Bosco called his father every foul name he could think of and then some. Having been in the Navy himself, the doctor could honestly say that he'd never heard a sailor curse like that. When Bosco finally stopped to catch his breath, Dr. Scanlan was more than happy to call an end to the session, saying that he'd come back tomorrow afternoon to check on him. That was over an hour ago and Bosco still hadn't fully composed himself. He let out a shaky breath as silent tears trickled down his cheeks.

XXXXXXXX

Faith struggled to keep up with Maritza Cruz, even in her pregnant state, as the sergeant bounded up the steps to the apartment building two at a time. "They have elevators you know." She grumbled.

Cruz wasn't listening. She was bent on confronting Natalie.

When they reached the apartment on the fourth floor, Cruz pounded on the door.

"Sarg, calm down." Faith pleaded. "At least let her explain herself."

"Oh, she's going to explain herself alright." Cruz growled, pounding on the door once more.

The door opened half-way and Natalie stared at them in shock. "Sergeant Cruz, Officer Yokas." She whispered, knowing that Jacob was napping on a pallet in front of the couch. "What's wrong?"

"I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S WRONG!" Cruz shouted as she pushed the door fully open and entered the apartment with Natalie back-peddling before her. "THIS IS WHAT'S WRONG!" Cruz screeched as she shoved the report of the background check into Natalie's hand.

Natalie glanced at the papers, then back at Cruz and Faith. "You ran a background check on me?"

"WHAT? YOU DIDN'T THINK WE'D FIND YOU OUT. DID YOU?" Cruz hissed. "DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD PASS THAT KID OFF AS BOSCO'S SO YOU COULD GET A STORY?"

"Sarg." Faith interrupted, trying to calm Cruz down.

"I can explain this, Sergeant Cruz, if you'll just lower your voice. Jacob is asleep." Natalie assured her.

"Oh, you're going to explain it? Explain why you didn't mention that your father is the owner of the largest Jewish newspaper in New York and why you failed to mention that you work for the Times? This I gotta hear." Cruz stood with her hands on her hips, scowling at Natalie.

"Look, I'm not doing this for a story. I just wanted Jacob to know his father. As for my father's newspaper, he doesn't even talk to me anymore. He couldn't forgive me for getting…. knocked up by an Italian Catholic cop. So you have no worries there. And my job at the Times, I'm a secretarial assistant in the editing department. And I'm in such a low position, I'll be lucky to get anything published ever. It wasn't exactly easy to finish school with high grades with a baby to take care of. I'm extremely lucky to have found the job I have…."

The remainder of the conversation between Cruz and Natalie was lost to Faith when she looked up to see Jacob peeking over the back of the couch at them. He seemed a bit tentative about the whole situation, but also seemed curious. When his brilliant blue eyes met Faith's, he hesitated a moment then the corners of his mouth turned up into a soft smile. Faith couldn't help but smile back. Jacob was a beautiful child.

Faith forgot all about Cruz and Natalie, as she grinned at Jacob. She was totally captivated by his sweet, innocent face. Not wanting to draw attention, yet wanting to interact with him, she wiggled her nose at him. She had to hold back a laugh when Jacob tried to wiggle his nose back at her. His whole face scrunched up. When he seemed to grow tired of that, Faith winked at him. In his attempt to wink back, Jacob blinked both eyes, batting his long eyelashes at Faith. Again she held back a laugh. Growing tired of the winking, Jacob took the initiative. Placing one hand over each eye, he first raised one and then the other in a game of peep-eye. Faith couldn't stop herself from joining him, placing both hands over her eyes then removing them.

Their fun was short lived as Cruz's gruff voice filled the air. "YOKAS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE DIDN'T COME HERE TO PLAY TIDDLYWINKS!"

Jacob jumped at the sound of her voice and started to cry.

Motherly instincts kicking in, Faith rushed to him and picked him up, patting his back. "It's ok, baby, don't cry." Faith soothed, until Natalie came over and snatched Jacob from her arms. "I'm sorry." Faith apologized as Natalie glared at her.

Turning her attention to Jacob, Natalie placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "It's ok, Jay. It's ok, sweetheart. Don't cry."

Jacob leaned over and whispered something in Natalie's ear, then glared at Maritza. "No, baby. The police lady's not mean. She's just a little upset." Natalie replied, as Jacob rested his head on her shoulder.

Faith looked at Cruz, who at least had the decency to look ashamed for scaring the little boy. Clearing her throat, she spoke. "We should get back to the house, Sarg."

Cruz glared at Faith and then turned back to Natalie. "This isn't over."

"That's where you're wrong, Sergeant. It is over. Maurice is going to know about his son. And there's nothing that you can do about it. If you or his mother want to tell him that's fine, but if you don't I will."

Cruz glared at Natalie hatefully, then turned and stalked towards the door.

"I'm really sorry." Faith apologized again before turning to follow Cruz.

XXXXXXXX

Disclaimer # 2: I do not own the Times. Don't sue.

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places.

Collision Course, Chapter 55

Rose shook her head sadly as she watched her son pick at his dinner. She had the night off from the bar and had returned after running a few errands to find Maurice in worse shape mentally than when she had left him. She didn't know what had happened during his session with the psychiatrist, but it couldn't have been good. She had never seen him this depressed before. And who knew how he was going to react when he found out about this girl, Natalie, and her son.

On the one hand, Rose was almost certain that the child was her grandson. And she wanted a grandchild badly. But then again, none of them knew this girl, so Rose was hesitant to get her hopes up. The boy might not be Maurice's. And even if he was, that might not turn out to be a good thing. She had never really heard Maurice talk about wanting children. And the boy's mother might still be untrustworthy. Maybe that's why she hadn't pressed the issue of meeting Natalie and Jacob when Maritza Cruz had suggested that Rose give her a few days to find out more about them.

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Faith was relieved when Maritza Cruz disappeared into her office to do paperwork. The sergeant had been on the warpath since they had left Natalie's apartment. Traces of the old Cruz were definitely showing through tonight. Although she had tried to pass it off as protecting Bosco, Faith was beginning to wonder if Cruz was acting the way she was because she was jealous of Natalie and Jacob. That thought might have worried Faith, if Bosco had not assured her that he and Maritza were just friends, nothing more. Faith glanced around again to make sure that the coast was clear before dialing Rose Boscorelli's cell number.

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Rose's dreary thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone.

"Hello, Faith" Rose greeted when she recognized the other cell number.

"Hi Rose. I hope I'm not disturbing your work." Faith replied.

"Oh, no dear. I had the night off. I'm at the hospital visiting with Maurice."

"Oh. How is he tonight?" Faith questioned.

"Not very good." Rose said softly.

Faith could hear Rose in the background telling Bosco that she was going to go downstairs to get some coffee. After a few moments, Rose spoke again. "He's very depressed tonight, Faith. I don't know what to do. I can't stand to see him like this."

"I'm sorry to hear that Rose. I'm afraid that I don't have very good news either." Faith went on to tell Rose what had happened earlier in the day between Natalie and Cruz, not excluding Natalie's employment situation or the fact that she was Jewish.

"Oh, dear." Rose mumbled.

"I'm afraid that we're going to have to tell Bosco soon, Rose, before Natalie does it herself. How do you think he'll handle it?" Faith asked with obvious concern.

"Well, I don't know how things could get much worse, Faith. Besides, Maurice will be furious if we continue to keep this from him and he finds out about it." Rose answered.

"Yeah, I've thought about that too."

There was a pause in the conversation before Rose finally spoke. "Maybe I should go and meet Miss Natalie Goldsberry and my grandson."

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Rose hesitated briefly, then reached up to knock on the apartment door. After a few moments she heard the shuffling of feet. After another few moments, the door opened to reveal a dark haired girl with a slightly large nose. Rose couldn't help but think that she didn't seem to be Maurice's type.

"Can I help you?" the girl asked.

Rose cleared her throat. "I hope you can. I'm Rose Boscorelli."

A look of surprise crossed the girl's face.

"I'm Maurice's mother." Rose explained further.

"Oh" Natalie replied and stared at Rose with a dumbfounded look.

"Can I come in?" Rose questioned.

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry, Mrs. Boscorelli." Natalie apologized as she moved back to let Rose enter. "I wasn't expecting you. I mean… how did you find me?"

"Officer Yokas gave me your address." Rose replied.

The two women stared at each other, both uncertain of how to approach the other. Finally a loud bang from the kitchen caught both of their attention.

"Excuse me just a minute." Natalie muttered, then turned to see what her son was up to.

As she entered the kitchen, she saw Jacob's sippy cup on the floor and a mischievous grin on the boy's face.

"Uh oh... Jacob drop." The boy said innocently.

"Jacob Goldsberry, what did I tell you about throwing things?" Natalie fussed, as she squatted down to clean up the mess. She couldn't leave the boy alone for long or he would find some way to get her attention. Throwing things was a favorite.

Rose followed Natalie into the kitchen out of curiosity. She stopped at the doorway and stared at the toddler sitting in his highchair with food all over the tray, as well as, his face.

Natalie placed the sippy cup in the sink and moved back to Jacob's side. "Look at you." she said as she tried to wipe the squirming child's face and hands with a hand towel. Glancing back at Rose, she began to apologize. "I'm sorry for the mess. He doesn't like for me to help him eat. He's too independent."

_Just like his father._ Rose thought. "That's ok, dear. Maurice used to make the biggest messes eating. Anthony would get upset over it, but I didn't care as long as he would eat."

Natalie looked back at Rose and their eyes locked for a long moment. "Would you like to sit down, Mrs. Boscorelli? I can make some coffee and we can get to know each other better."

"I'd like that." Rose replied quietly as she took a seat across the table from her grandson.


	24. Chapters 56 to 57

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places, The Animals' Bus Ride, or anything else. I'm just borrowing them.

Collision Course, Chapter 56a

Rose and Natalie chatted for a while in the kitchen, until Jacob grew tired of his highchair. When he could no longer be contained, they moved to the living room. Natalie told Rose about herself and her family, while Jacob played on the floor with his toys.

Every few minutes, the boy would cast a curious glance at Rose. Finally, when his curiosity got the best of him, he slowly approached her with a book in his hand. Holding the book out to Rose, he spoke. "Jacob read."

A surprised Rose accepted the book with a smile. Jacob, reassured, climbed up on to the couch to sit beside her. The book was about animals and from the looks of the tattered edges it must have been one of Jacob's favorites. It reminded Rose of the little book that Maurice had loved as a child, The Animals' Bus Ride. With tears in her eyes, Rose reached out and stroked the boy's soft hair. Their eyes held each other for a moment, until Jacob pointed to the book again. "Read."

"Of course, Dear." Rose muttered as she opened the book.

Jacob pointed excitedly to a picture on the first page. "Doggie! Oof Oof!"

"That's right, sweetheart." Rose said as she turned the page.

Pointing again, Jacob could hardly control himself. "Kitty! Mouw! Mouw!" He was thoroughly enjoying sharing his book with a new person.

Rose let out a chuckle, while Natalie watched silently thinking maybe, just maybe things were going to work out.

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"This is your last dose of antibiotics, Maurice." Brandi commented as she hung the bag on the IV pole.

Bosco nodded. "Good, maybe Dr. Poole will let me go home."

"Well, he'll probably want to watch you a couple of days to make sure you don't have a fever off of the antibiotics." "But hopefully soon." Brandi added as she saw the look of disgust growing on Bosco's face. He had been on edge all night. "Do you need anything?" she asked.

"Nothing that you can do for me." Bosco grumbled.

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Rose noticed Jacob yawning and glanced at her watch. "Oh Dear. I didn't realize it was this late. It must be past your bedtime, little one." Rose said, casting an apologizing glance at Natalie.

"Well, it is getting close. But that's ok. I'm glad you came, Mrs. Boscorelli." Natalie assured her.

"Still, I need to get going. You probably have to work tomorrow." Rose commented.

As Rose stood to get ready to leave, she assured Natalie that she would speak to Maurice tomorrow. Then she leaned back down to Jacob's level. "Goodnight, sweetheart." She muttered as she pulled the boy into a gentle hug. To her surprise, Jacob hugged her back tightly, then kissed her on the cheek. "g..nite." He mumbled sleepily.

*Footnote: The Animals' Bus Ride – is a Rand McNally Junior Elf book by Helen Wing.

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Collision Course, Chapter 56b

Day 25

"Good morning, Officer Boscorelli." Dr. Poole greeted as he entered the room.

Bosco yawned and looked at the clock on the wall, wondering how anyone could be that cheerful at 7:40 in the morning. "When can I go home, Doc?"

"You don't beat around the bush, do you?" Tim asked, sounding amused. Seeing that his patient wasn't amused, he continued, "Actually I did want to discuss that, Officer. While you are getting closed to being ready for discharge, I do want to keep you at least a few more days." Seeing Bosco's frown growing, Dr. Poole held up a hand. "Just hear me out, Officer. You need to go at least 48 hours off of antibiotics without a fever. Also, your creatinine appears to be stabilizing around 2.0, but your blood pressure is a little higher than I'd like. I would like to adjust your medications and monitor it for a couple more days. But if all goes well, I would expect that we can discharge you before the weekend." Seeing that his last comment brought a half-smile to his patient's face, Tim continued again. "Now, we'll have to decide where you'll be staying once you are discharged."

"What do you mean?" Bosco asked, obviously confused.

"Well, I don't want you to stay by yourself for the first few weeks, at least until you can maneuver with crutches. In the meantime, you'll have a motorized wheelchair. So, wherever you go will have to be wheelchair accessible."

Bosco looked as if he were about to protest, but suddenly stopped. Of course he couldn't use crutches with one arm in a cast.

Seeing that his patient found no grounds to protest, Tim continued once again. "I'll have a home health aide visit at least 5 days a week until the cast comes off of your arm."

The scowl on Bosco's face did not go unnoticed. "That will keep your family and friends from having to help bath you." Tim added quickly. "When the cast comes off, you can start using crutches and resume physical therapy." Tim stopped and crossed his arms over his chest waiting for the officer's reaction.

He was surprised when Bosco simply asked "Is that all?"

"Well, that's most of it. I'll need to see you again within a week and you'll still need to continue your sessions with Dr. Scanlan."

"Whatever." Bosco mumbled.

"I'll have Meredith teach you how to use the motorized wheelchair. Do you need anything, Officer?" Tim questioned. Bosco simply shook his head.

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Rose sat quietly watching Bosco finish his lunch. He'd had a busy morning. Meredith, the physical therapist, had taught him how to maneuver the motorized wheelchair. Afterward, she and the guard had spent the better part of an hour practically chasing him through the hospital corridors. While he had grumbled initially about the chair, he'd soon begun to appreciate the new found freedom it offered. When they had finally corralled him, it was almost lunch time. And surprisingly his mood was much lighter.

Rose had been waiting for an appropriate time to tell Bosco about Natalie and Jacob. She had anticipated telling him after lunch since Dr. Scanlan would be coming by this afternoon. Now she was hesitant, not wanting to spoil his good mood. It had been a long time since she'd seen him even attempt to smile.

Rose was brought from her thoughts by Bosco calling to her. "Ma? MA?"

Looking up suddenly, she came to her feet. "What is it, Maurice? Do you need something?"

"I'm fine, Ma. Are you alright?" Bosco answered.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Rose said defensively.

"I was talking to you and you weren't even listening." Bosco replied.

"I'm sorry. What were you saying?" Rose questioned.

"I was saying that Dr. Poole doesn't want me to stay at home alone, at least not at first. And I'm not sure if the elevator at my apartment is working or not. It's old and needs to be replaced." Bosco paused, looking at Rose intently. When she gave him a confused look, he hesitantly continued, "Well, I….a…. I was wondering if I could maybe stay at your place for a while." Quickly he added, "Just until the cast comes off my arm and I can use crutches."

Rose looked at him in astonishment for a moment, then a soft smile began to form on her face. "Of course you can stay at my place, Maurice. It's still your home. Why would you even question that?"

Bosco shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I mean, I don't want you to have to take care of me. And you won't have too. Dr. Poole is going to have an aid come out. And it should only be for a couple of weeks. I'll try not to be too much trouble."

"Trouble? Nonsense, Maurice. You are my son. It's no trouble to help you out for a while. Besides, it will be nice not to be alone in that house."

A genuine smile formed on Bosco's face. The two remained silent for a short while, until finally Bosco spoke again. "You never did tell me what you were thinking about, Ma."

"What?" Rose questioned as she was once again pulled from her thoughts.

"Come on, Ma. You've got something important on your mind. I can tell. You're way too quiet. Spill."

Rose swallowed dryly. She knew that now was as good a time as any. "Maurice, do you remember a girl named Natalie Goldsberry?"

Bosco thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No. Why? Should I?"

Rose cleared her throat. "Well, I met her yesterday and she says that you spent the night at her apartment the night before September 11th." At Bosco's questioning look, she continued. " Brown hair, kind of big nose?"

"Yeah." Bosco mumbled, remembering the girl. "How did you meet her and why would she tell you that?"

"She….a….. she…."

"What's going on, Ma?"

Rose looked up to meet her son's questioning eyes. "She says that you're the father of her son, Maurice." She said quickly, as she dropped a picture of Jacob onto Bosco's lap.

Bosco remained silent, staring at the picture for what felt like an eternity, at least to Rose. For once in her life, she couldn't read her son's reaction or the lack thereof. Finally, when she could stand it no longer, she spoke. "Say something, Maurice."

Bosco swallowed hard and his words came out almost at a whisper. "What do you want me to say, Ma?"

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Collision Course, Chapter 57

"Say something, Maurice."

Bosco swallowed hard and his words came out almost at a whisper. "What do you want me to say, Ma?"

Bosco continued to stare at the picture of Jacob in silence. Rose was still unable to read his face. Was that confusion or fear? Or maybe a mixture of both.

After several more minutes, she spoke again, "Maurice?" The response she got was not what she expected. Bosco looked up at her, anger evident on his face.

"What is she doing coming here now?" he growled.

Rose reflexively took a step back. "What do you mean, Maurice?"

"What is she doing here now? If he was my son, why didn't she tell me while she was pregnant instead of waiting until my picture was posted in every newspaper and on every TV station in the city? Why ma?"

Rose shook her head slightly. "Calm down, Maurice. She said that she couldn't find you." Growing a bit angry herself, Rose continued, "She didn't even remember your last name, Maurice. Said that she came back with bagels and caught you trying to sneak out of her place. And then the planes hit and you disappeared. By the time she found out that she was pregnant, she had no idea if you were even alive."

Bosco looked away, a fleeting look of shame crossing his face. "She could have found me before now." He said more softly.

"No, she couldn't. The police department wasn't giving out any information regarding their officers to anyone but family during that time. She had no way of finding you Maurice, until she saw your picture on the television." Rose insisted.

Bosco looked down at the picture in his lap, shaking his head back and forth slowly. Almost reflexively, his right hand started to twist the edge of his bed sheet. "I can't do this." He mumbled. "I can't."

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1:35 PM

"You're awfully quiet today, Maurice." Dr. Scanlan pointed out. When his patient didn't reply, he continued, "Are you thinking about the things we discussed yesterday?"

At that, Bosco let out a short laugh. "I wish that my biggest problem right now was my old man, Doc."

Dr. Scanlan sat thoughtfully before asking, "Something else on your mind?"

"Yeah, something else is on my mind. As if my life weren't screwed up enough, now I've got some chick that I slept with ONCE showing up saying that I'm her son's father. I barely even remember this girl and she's already got my Ma all wrapped up in this kid. For all I know this kid could be anybody's and she's just trying to cash in on my new found fame." A small bitter grin graced Bosco's lips as he looked up at Dr. Scanlan. "Crazy girl thinks she's found a hero to take care of her little brat. She doesn't have any idea what she's getting into does she, Doc? She's going to be surprised when she finds out that her hero is a useless nutcase who can't even do his job any more."

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3:35 PM

"55-Charlie report to Mercy hospital, floor 5 East, forthwith."

"10-4, Dispatch. 55-Charlie in route." Sully answered and glanced over at Ty.

"That's Bosco's floor, isn't it? " Ty questioned.

Sully didn't answer with words. He just floored the accelerator.

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Faith stood staring at the numbers in the elevator willing them to move faster. When the doors finally opened, she and Maritza Cruz almost collided trying to exit. Moving down the hall she saw a small crowd of officers and security guards gathered. Off to one side, Sully was standing beside a very distraught Rose Boscorelli with one hand cupping her elbow.

"Rose, what's going on?" Faith asked as she approached the pair.

"Oh, Faith. Thank goodness you're here, both of you." Rose spoke nodding at Cruz as well. "Maurice is gone."

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Faith asked, obviously confused.

"I left while he was having his session with the psychiatrist and when I came back he was gone." Rose replied.

"Sent the security guard downstairs to get him a milkshake and disappeared while he was gone." Sully explained further.

"Disappeared! He has a broken leg and a broken arm. How could he disappear?" Maritza Cruz spat.

"Well, the nurses seem to think that he took off in his motorized wheelchair since it's not in the room." Sully replied with a smirk.

"This is not funny, John." Rose scolded him.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure he's fine." Sully tried to apologize.

"Did something happen with the psychiatrist?" Faith questioned.

"I don't know. He was pretty upset before I left." Rose muttered. At Faith's questioning look, she continued. "I told him about Natalie and Jacob." She said quietly.

"What?" Cruz asked astonished. When Rose just shrugged her shoulders, Maritza started pacing the tile floor, mumbling in Spanish.

"I take it, he didn't handle that too well." Faith stated, knowing from the look on Rose's face that it had been worse than she had expected.

"Who are Natalie and Jacob?" Sully questioned.


	25. Chapters 58 to 60

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original characters or places, but I'm sure having fun with them.

Collision Course, Chapter 58

Faith shook her head as she grumbled to herself about what exactly she would do to Bosco when they finally found him. The police officers and security guards had split up almost thirty minutes ago to search the hospital and the surrounding area. Faith herself had searched the ambulance bay outside of the ER and the adjacent parking lot. "How hard can it be to find a man with a broken arm and leg riding around in a motorized wheelchair in a hospital gown and robe? How far could he have gotten going like 2 miles per hour?" she mumbled.

She emerged at the edge of the harbor. It was a beautiful afternoon with a beautiful view of Lady Liberty in the distance. Glancing along the seawall, Faith spotted the object of her search. As she approached, she saw the faraway look in Bosco's eyes and found her anger dissipating. Wanting to give him space, she leaned her elbows on the seawall and watched the seagulls.

After a long silence, Bosco finally spoke. "Did Ma call you?"

"Yeah, me and about half of the precinct. Along with every security guard in the hospital." Faith replied.

"I didn't mean to scare her. I just needed some time to think." Bosco said quietly.

Faith met Bosco's gaze, then glanced down at the picture in his lap.

"She tell you about him?" Bosco questioned.

"Yeah, I know about him."

"I barely even knew her, Faith. Met her at a bar that night. She wasn't really my type, but the way she looked at me I thought I might get lucky. Funny thing is, by the time I got her to take me home with her I was so drunk that I don't even really remember it. I woke up the next morning trying to figure out where I was and how I got there." Bosco paused as if trying to gather his thoughts. "This is the last thing that I wanted Faith. I wanted a normal family. A wife that I could adore and kids who knew they were loved. Although, I guess I never really believed that would happen. It was too good to be true. Maybe that's why I settled for whoever came along that was willing. Being with someone for one night was better than being alone. But I never believed that I would knock some girl up. I was pretty careful about that, most of the time at least."

Bosco sighed and rubbed his temple with his right hand. "What kind of life is this kid going to have Faith? His parents barely know each other. And I'm a complete screw up."

"Don't say that, Bosco." Faith interjected.

Bosco looked up at her sadly. "It's true, Faith. I take medicine at night to knock me out and medicine during the day to keep me calm. I don't even know for sure if I'm going to be able to work again, not that I ever did a very good job anyway. But it was a job that I loved. It made me feel useful at least. Now what do I have? Nothing, except a kid that I have no idea how to take care of."

"You were a good cop, Bos. And you will be again, even if you don't get to work the streets. Physically you're getting stronger. And you will mentally as well. And as for knowing something about taking care of children, you've always given me good advice about the kids and Fred."

"Giving advice is a whole lot easier than using it, Faith."

"You'll be a good dad, Bos."

"How do you know that, Faith? How do you know that I won't be just like my old man and ruin this kid's life?"

"Because I know you, Bosco. Despite that tough man act you put on, you are kind and gentle person. And you stand by those you love. You may not know Jacob now, but you will and you'll love him. And you'll find a way to make things work."

"I wish I could believe that, Faith."

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7:15 PM

Bosco hesitantly dialed the number that his mother had given him earlier in the evening. After a couple of rings, a vaguely familiar voice answered.

"Hello" the voice said.

Bosco cleared his throat, "Um….hello. May I speak to Natalie?"

"This is Natalie." Bosco could hear another small voice in the background. "Wait, Jay. Uh… can you hold on a minute?"

"Sure." Bosco listened intently to the conversation in the background.

"Mommy, Jay want more juice."

"Ok, ok. Just hold on. Mommy's on the phone."

"More juice."

Bosco heard what sounded like a refrigerator door opening then closing and some fumbling around in the background.

"There, now go play in the living room and when Mommy gets off the phone it will be bath time."

Bosco thought he heard something like 'No, no baff' fading out in the background.

"Hello. Hello, is anyone there?"

"Oh, uh. Yeah, I'm here. Sorry." Bosco mumbled.

"Who is this?" Natalie questioned.

"Maurice Boscorelli." Bosco answered. After a long awkward pause, Bosco continued. "Um… my Ma told me about… your son."

"Oh… Look, I'm sorry to spring this on you at a time like this." Natalie said, sounding sincere.

After another pause, Bosco replied. "My doctor said that he can arrange some blood tests… to um…to see if he's mine. If that's ok?"

"Oh, yeah… Sure… That's ok. What do I need to do?" Natalie answered uncertainly.

After explaining where Natalie should take Jacob to get the test, Bosco quickly said goodbye. Dropping the phone down into his lap, he sighed.

"You did the right thing." Maritza Cruz said from a chair beside him. "There's no way to know who the father is. He could be anyone's."

Bosco looked up, the strain of the day obvious on his face. "Shouldn't your meal period be about over?"

Cruz looked at her watch. "Yeah, actually I guess I should get back to work. Yokas will be hunting me down." Standing, she reached out and squeezed Bosco's shoulder. "I'll check on you tomorrow."

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Collision Course, Chapter 59

Day 27

"Maurice, what do you mean you're not going to any press conference? It's the mayor. And he's going to give you a medal. You can't just refuse to go." Rose insisted.

"I don't care if it's the President of the United States. I'm not going and have my picture all over the news in this wheelchair. What am I supposed to wear? How am I supposed to get pants on over this cast? And look at this hair. I can't get it to do anything, especially with this no-water-needed shampoo. Who came up with that crap anyway?" Bosco grumbled.

"Well, your hair is getting a little long, but I'm sure that I can get Gloria to come over and cut it before tomorrow." Rose replied.

"Maaa" Bosco began to protest.

"Don't Maaa me, Maurice. You are going to meet the mayor and that's that. Now I need to get to the house before the others get there. I'll call Gloria on the way and see if she can stop by after lunch. She's been wanting to see you anyway."

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Ty shook his head as he looked over at Mikey Boscorelli. Mikey just shrugged his shoulders. Sully and Anthony Boscorelli were trying to build a ramp off of Rose's porch so Bosco could get into the house more easily. And it was a sight to behold. The two men bickered back and forth incessantly, unless Rose came out onto the porch. Then they nearly tripped over each other trying to cater to her. Ty didn't know whether to laugh or to be afraid that the two would kill each other before the day was over.

As Rose came onto the porch again, Anthony rose to his feet allowing the plank that he was holding to drop, pinching Sully's hand. His "What is it Rosie? Do you need help with something?" almost drowned out Sully's "Crap! Will you watch what you're doing?"

Rose, who was quite disgusted with the two by this point, rolled her eyes. "No, Anthony. I don't need anything. Lunch is ready. Why don't you and John come in and have something to eat?"

"What a coincidence. Officer Sullivan was just saying how much he'd like a donut about now." Anthony smirked.

Sully glared at his partner who had laughed out loud at the comment.

As Rose ushered the two men into the house, she glared over at Mikey and then back at the pile of lumber that was supposed to be a ramp. Mikey nodded his head in understanding, then caught Ty by the shoulder as he started to follow the trio inside.

"What?" Ty questioned.

"Let's finish this while they are inside." Mikey answered, pointing down at the heap.

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While the men, or boys, were busy at Rose's house, Faith and Maritza Cruz went to Bosco's apartment to retrieve a list of things that he thought he'd need while at Rose's place.

Faith was surprised at first at how neat the apartment was. She realized that in 12 years, she'd only been in Bosco's apartment a handful of times. And when she had, it had usually been a quick stop during a shift or some equally brief visit. She'd never really taken the time to look around. Wandering around the living room, she approached the bookcase. She was surprised by the odd collection of books and magazines. There were some on American history including a book about the Presidents, some on military history, and a few classics.

In the middle of the bookcase was a framed picture of a very young appearing Bosco in desert fatigues. He was standing next to another soldier who was almost a good six inches taller. The guy had his arm around Bosco's shoulder and they stood in front of a helicopter in what appeared to be a desert. Both were grinning from ear to ear.

On the other end of the bookcase, there were several auto repair books and automobile magazines. There were, also, several books related to police work and a whole stack of law enforcement magazines. Then… _Wow, Bos, I never figured you were the mystery novel type._

Reaching up on the top shelf, she pulled down a small stack of dusty, tattered books. She chuckled as she looked through them. Arthur's Pen Pal, Marvin K. Mooney, Put Me in the Zoo, The Spooky Old Tree. "The Velveteen Rabbit" she said in shock as her mouth dropped open. _You never cease to amaze me, Bos.  
_  
Faith was brought back to reality by Maritza Cruz shouting from the other room. "Hey, Yokas. Where are you? I could use some help in here."

Entering Bosco's bedroom, she saw Maritza digging through the clothes in the closet. "What did ya need, Sarg?"

"Here, take this half of the list." Cruz instructed, tearing the list in half.

Faith glanced down at her half of the list. "Great" she mumbled. Walking over to the dresser, she pulled open the top drawer. After retrieving several pairs of socks, she moved on to the next drawer. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found that it only held t-shirts. She gathered up a few and placed them in a small suite case that Rose had given them. She stood staring into the third drawer for a few minutes. 'Boxers or briefs?' she asked herself.

Maritza Cruz suddenly peered over her shoulder. "Boxers, and he prefers the black ones."

Faith cringed inwardly, trying to shake the visuals that Cruz's comments had brought. When she finally recovered, curiosity got the best of her. "Um… what's with all the white briefs then?"

"Says his mom gets them for him every Christmas. He doesn't have the heart to tell her that he doesn't wear them." Reaching past Faith, Cruz took several pairs of the boxers from the drawer and threw them into the suitcase. "They won't bite you." She said and grinned as Faith's face turned a bright shade of red.

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"Maurice, how are you my little angel?" Gloria shrieked as she hurriedly approached. Bosco braced himself, knowing what to expect. Gloria pinched one cheek heartily as she leaned down and kissed the other. Bosco could only imagine what he looked like with one cheek red from lipstick and the other red from being pinched so vigorously. Gloria, was a good friend of Rose's, who had cut Bosco's hair since he was a child. And she never changed. For thirty years, she'd used the same red hair coloring and the same bright red lipstick.

"I'm fine, Aunt Gloria. How are you? You're looking good." _Just a little white lie won't hurt.  
_  
"I'm just super, Maurice. Just super. Would you look at those locks?" Gloria bellowed, as she ran her fingers through Bosco's hair.

Bosco pulled his head away. "You know I don't like that, Auntie."

"You never change, do you? My same little Maurice. Are you ready for Auntie Gloria to work her magic?" Gloria asked in a more subdued voice.

"Ready as ever." Bosco replied. "Just watch out for the ears." He muttered under his breath, remembering the time that Gloria attempted to cut his hair after having a few drinks with Rose.

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Disclaimer #2: I do not own any of the above named children's books, just copies of them. My favorite? Marvin K Mooney…of course.

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Collision Course, Chapter 60

Friday, Day 28, 7:30 AM

"Well, Officer Boscorelli, it looks like everything is in order. Your blood pressure is improved. Your kidney function, although not normal, is stable. And all of the arrangements for home health have been made. I don't see any problem with discharging you today. In fact, the paper work should be ready by the time you get back from meeting the mayor." Tim Poole assured his patient.

"That's great, Doc." Bosco replied. "Thanks for all your help."

"Just doing my job, Officer. And it was a pleasure. Now don't forget you have an appointment with me next Thursday. Did you get your follow-up with Dr. Scanlan arranged?"

"Yeah, that's next Wednesday. Don't worry; he's not letting me off easy." Bosco answered.

"Dave never does. He's a good doctor, Officer Boscorelli. I'm sure he'll be able to help you adjust to things if you'll give him a chance. I know you don't like it, but I agree with him that accepting temporary disability for a few months is the way to go. It will give you time to focus on recovering and when you're able we'll see about getting you back into some sort of work."

Bosco just nodded quietly, knowing that arguing wouldn't change their minds.

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9:00 AM

"Come in." Bosco replied to the knock on the hospital room door.

Maritza Cruz entered carrying a plastic bag. Bosco was sitting in a reclining chair, his casted leg emerging from under a blanket. "Hey, Bosco. Are you ready to get sprung from this joint?"

"Can't wait." Bosco answered.

"You could have fooled me." At the confused look on Bosco's face she continued, "You don't look very excited about leaving considering you've been here almost a month."

"It's not that. I'm ready to go home. I'm just not sure about this press conference with the mayor thing." Bosco confided.

"Why not? I mean, it's not everyday that the mayor gives out the city's highest honor. I'd think you'd be excited about it." Maritza replied.

"I don't know. I just don't have a good feeling about it. I don't know why they have to make such a big deal out of it anyway. I was just doing my job. They're not making Monroe meet the mayor. Why can't they just let me go home in peace?" Bosco muttered.

"Well, Monroe didn't almost die. Besides, the Chief already gave her a medal. But nobody says you have to do it if you feel that way about it."

"Yeah? Tell that to my Ma. She'll go ballistic if I don't do it." Bosco answered.

"I'm sure she'd get over it." Maritza replied.

"Not in this lifetime." Bosco sighed. "I don't know where she is this morning. She was supposed to bring me some clothes. Somehow I don't think the mayor would want me to show up in this beautiful blue hospital gown."

Maritza laughed as Bosco rolled his eyes. "No, I don't think that will do, although it is kind of cute on you." She was relieved to see Bosco smile for the first time since she'd arrived. "Actually, your mom is grocery shopping. I think she's planning a big homecoming dinner for you. But she did ask me to bring these over and said she'd be here before 'the party' started."

Bosco took the bag and pulled out a pair of navy jogging pants with zippers on the legs and a navy NYPD t-shirt. In the bottom of the bag was a sock and one right tennis shoe. "At least she didn't forget my shoe." He grumbled. He was not looking forward to this event at all, but did want to look as normal as possible.

Sighing again, he looked up at Maritza. "I guess I better see if these are going to work." With that, he leaned forward dropping the foot of the chair down and tossing the blanket onto the floor. Reaching down towards his foot on the casted leg, he struggled with the pants.

As Maritza chuckled at the site, Bosco looked up exasperated. "You gonna help me or stand there and laugh?"

"I'm sorry." Cruz replied, moving forward to help. As she started the left pants leg over his cast, she noticed several signatures, most of them women, and one in particular with a phone number beside it. "I take it Brandi must have forgiven your past indiscretions."

"Yeah" Bosco smirked. "We worked it out. She's actually a nice girl."

"Uh huh." Cruz replied as she tugged the jogging pants up to above his knees. "What now?"

"Um…I guess I'll have to stand up and you pull them up." Bosco replied, slightly embarrassed by having a woman help dress him. That was a first, at least since he was a child.

"Okay." Maritza agreed. She braced herself as Bosco leaned forward draping his good arm over her shoulder. With one hand on the pants waist and one around Bosco's back, they managed to hoist him into a standing position. Maritza quickly pulled the pants up as Bosco held on for dear life. Noting the slack in the waist band, Maritza commented "Dang, Chico. How much weight have you lost?"

"Don't know." Bosco replied as he eased back down into the chair. "But if I had to eat this hospital food much longer, I don't think I would survive. I hope Ma's cooking lasagna tonight."

With his pants on, Bosco went to work on his shirt. Pulling the hospital gown off, he reflexively tossed it to Maritza. He pulled the shirt over his casted left forearm, then raising it up over his head fumbled with trying to get his other arm in. Maritza, in the meantime, was captivated by the scars from his recent surgery. He had one large incision from his back around to the front of his chest and another down the middle of his abdomen disappearing below his waistline. Several smaller round scars reflected the various drain tubes that had been in place. Although they were healed, they were still slightly red and stood out against his pale skin.

Maritza's attention was diverted from the sight, by a muffled voice saying what sounded vaguely like "Hey, Ritza. Help me out here." Looking up she saw Bosco's right arm half-way through the arm of his shirt, trying to find the collar to guide his head through. She chuckled at the site as he reminded her of a little boy. Grabbing the bottom of the t-shirt, she gave it a tug and Bosco's head popped through. "Thanks" he said sheepishly.

"Not a problem." She replied.

Winded from the exertion, Bosco picked up his sock and looked back and forth from it to his foot. "Here, let me." Maritza commented as she pulled the sock from his hand.

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11:25 AM

"Are you ready for this, Bosco?" Faith questioned.

"Ready as I'm gonna be." Bosco mumbled, as he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. Unlike his palms, his mouth felt as dry as a desert.

Rose noticed him tense as she squeezed his shoulders. Leaning down to his ear, she whispered, "Don't be nervous, Maurice. This will be a piece of cake." Rose was quickly distracted by the hospital's public relations chief, Jack Coleman, approaching.

"Mrs. Boscorelli, Officers, the mayor should be here any minute. I'll show the three of you to your seats." He commented, as he extended his arm to Rose.

Faith quickly wished Bosco good luck and turned to follow. Maritza Cruz was about to do the same, when Bosco grabbed her arm. "Get me out of here." He muttered.

"What?" Maritza asked as she looked down into Bosco's fearful eyes. He had beads of sweat on his forehead and his breathing was faster than normal.

"Get me out of here, Ritza. I can't do this." He pleaded as he tried to slow his increasingly ragged breaths.

"What's wrong, Bosco? Are you ok?" Maritza asked, obviously concerned.

"I don't want to do this. I can't." The desperation is his voice was growing.

"Ok, calm down. We'll go; just calm down." Maritza assured him.

"Is something wrong?" Mr. Coleman asked, as he returned.

"Yeah, he's not feeling very well. I think maybe we need to get him back upstairs." Maritza answered, as Bosco focused on trying to control his heart rate and breathing.

"But the mayor will be here any minute." Coleman replied.

"I'm sorry, but he's not going to be able to do it." Maritza retorted more forcefully.

Faith and Rose, having noticed the interaction, rejoined them.

"What's going on?" Rose asked.

"Bos, are you ok?" Faith questioned, noticing how pale and clammy Bosco appeared.

Bosco could only shake his head 'no.'

"No, he's not alright. We're going back upstairs." Maritza answered for him.

"But the mayor is coming. We've been working on this all week." Coleman argued.

"Well, I'm sorry, but the mayor will just have to be disappointed." Maritza seethed. Turning, her eyes met Faith's.

"Let's go." Faith agreed.

With that, Maritza turned Bosco's wheelchair around and headed back to the elevator with Rose in tow muttering, "Maurice, baby, what's wrong?"

Behind them, the PR chief continued to argue.

"Back off." Faith ordered, pushing him back with a hand to his chest.


End file.
